


Septenary

by InsertACatchyPennameHere



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grouptale, Multi, Multiple Endings, Narrator Chara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 09:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 49,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9813926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsertACatchyPennameHere/pseuds/InsertACatchyPennameHere
Summary: In the story we all know and love, one human child possessed an incredible amount of determination in order to RESET and maintain multiple timelines. However, there were six other children that existed before them, each possessing their own incredible strengths and abilities that changed the fate of the Underground a piece at a time. When all seven fall down together rather than separately, the only way to reach an ending is to reach an agreement.





	1. In which seven children live together

**Author's Note:**

> Author Note: Greetings, all! I have been wanting to write this story for quite some time now, but had neither the time, inspiration, or information to do so properly. However, now that I am nearing completion of Not One, But Seven, I have solid foundation development for all seven fallen children (including how I intend to portray Frisk). I haven't seen too much for Grouptale, and with all the AUs this fandom has produced being nothing short of a phenomenon, it was extremely hard to try and find the original creator of this AU, even with the official guide being my reference.
> 
> So, I shall go forth and credit pavizi on tumblr as well as and the lovely farsidejr for providing the resources for all the Undertale AUs!
> 
> I am not following any artist's specific character designs; rather, I'm using my own designs. I have seen several interpretations and while they are very lovely, I seem to picture the six 'unknown' children a bit differently (as everyone does). I still hope you enjoy them, and you can see more of these characters in more canon-conforming action in Not One, But Seven and They All Leave.
> 
> As stated in the description and above, this is a Grouptale fanfic. The versions of the six are mine and the concept of Grouptale goes to its rightful owner regardless of who they are, and of course Undertale credit goes to Toby Fox. Without much further ado, enjoy! =)

To most people, the most outstanding part of Barriville wasn't the meager village itself, but the massive Mt. Ebott towering behind it.

Frisk supposed the same was true of them, but even with a population of only 1,278, they found it easy to feel small in their community. Then again, they figured it could be attributed to the fact that out of the minuscule population, no two people were their parents. They didn't remember anything about them; they'd been abandoned at the mayor's office when they were only eight months old. But no matter how much their foster parents insisted they'd never find them because they didn't want to be discovered, Frisk continued searching every year from the time they were three to their current age of ten.

They knew they shouldn't resent the life they'd been given by their parents abandoning them. There were always other kids to play with (even if none of them ever did) and they got fed a little better than most of the poor community, but none of that seemed to matter what they were slapped, kicked or belittled. Far too many times had they been stuck under a freezing shower with their clothes on as punishment or kicked outside to beg for change or shelter.

They were considered to be part of a less glamorous version of Barriville, the community that got glossed over and neglected while the rest of the village prospered on tourism and attention for being the only community that remained so close to the infamous Underground. Frisk often wondered if the monsters would be so bad when the humans had only ever treated them with harsh cruelty for no reason other than the fate their parents bestowed upon them.

"You know, they say people who climb up Ebott never return," one girl gossiped as she and her friend pretended to do their homework. "I wonder what it'd be like up there."

"Yeah, but you know Nan would have our heads if we even tried to go," her friend replied grimly. "Only an idiot with a death wish would try it."

"You have a point," the first girl agreed, and Frisk found her dark eyes targeting them at once. "How stupid would a person have to be? Like, Frisk-stupid?"

The pre-teen frowned and turned their back to the pair as they giggled maliciously. They were often ridiculed by their peers for being so quiet, but they knew it was merely a way for them to let out their frustrations. They'd all been subjected to the horrendous treatment of their caretakers- Nan and Pops, they insisted upon being called- so the child forgave them.

"D-don't listen to them, Frisk," a boy voiced from his spot on the dusty rug in the corner. "They're just trying to get a rise out of you."

They offered a smile in response and touched their temple to communicate that they knew this. They often felt like Micah was their only friend in this world aside from little Beatrice, but their relationship was forged more out of protection than true common place.

Beatrice was the youngest member of the orphanage who wasn't an infant, and was often targeted for being small and sensitive. She had endless amounts of patience for this ridicule, of course, but Frisk had become her mentor and protector. Their relationship with Micah went further than that, and they communicated through signing as much as through gentle physical reassurances the other was there for the long run.

'W-want to read with me?" Micah offered shyly. "I-I don't know if you like the Conjuring Tree Fort Series, b-but..."

Frisk nodded with a small smile, then signed that they wanted to find Beatrice, or 'Tally' as they often called her, first. The small girl was were they'd expected, curled up on the window bench in the girls' room.

"Hi, Frisk," she greeted softly. "Isn't the rain pretty? Everything gets all dark and gray and cold."

The older child merely nodded with a small ghost of a small, but the younger's words bothered them. Beatrice was usually a chipper, positive young girl despite all the heartache she'd endured in her five years, but sometimes she became extremely quiet and thought more cynically of the world.

It worried her guardian to think of her acting on any of the dark thoughts she verbalized, but nothing they'd ever tried to deter the thinking ever made it go away.

'Do you want to go read?' They signed when the girl looked back to them. 'Micah has a book.'

"Sure," she replied softly. "Which one?"

As they walked out of the room, Frisk couldn't help but release a quiet sigh. Today was one of Beatrice's consolable days, one of the days she could distract her from her own mind. For now, they still had their Tally and their Micah. For now, things could still be okay.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most children at the orphanage seemed to truly hate Nan. Adeline wouldn't necessarily say she liked the old, bitter woman, but she certainly didn't hate her. She felt something just above tolerance for her when she helped her cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. She outright tolerated Pops, who was as mean as he was unattractive, but Nan was far better in her opinion.

"Go ahead and crack the eggs in this bowl," Nan grunted as she handed the nine-year-old a small container. "I'll heat up the ham."

"Yes ma'am," the young girl replied calmly.

They worked in silence as they usually did before Nan tired out and left the girl to finish up alone. Adeline liked this time the most, watching the sun rise over the mountain tops as she cooked breakfast for everyone. She'd found the other children typically liked it the best when she was left to work without their caretaker 'helping', so this time was perfect for her to reflect and wait for the gratification of the others.

Despite her status being somewhat high in the social order at the orphanage, she still couldn't help but wonder what life would be like somewhere else. Maybe she could find her mother somewhere beyond Mt. Ebott, and they could reunite and be as happy as they were before her father died.

If that still wasn't feasible, maybe she could find a new set of parents and siblings to cook for and take care of. She didn't hate where she was now, but she knew things could be better. She still didn't eat most of what she prepared, and she wasn't immune to Pops never-dwindling wrath. She couldn't remember that last time someone had hugged her, much less like her father used to. She longed for affection and approval even if she knew she wouldn't receive it, and that knowledge tormented her more than the original desire.

"Whatcha cooking?"

The voice startled her so much she nearly dropped the newly warmed and seasoned ham, and this near blunder made the older boy- Akin- snicker. Adeline knew him- he put up a tough, bully-esque front and was extremely popular with the other children, or at least well feared. He was always wearing a set of gloves and had his long hair pulled back in a bandanna, but he didn't intimidate her. After all, he slept in the fetal position, and her father once told her that meant someone was insecure. Everything he put out was a front.

"Ham and eggs," she replied evenly. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Old Lady Nan woke us up," he grumbled. "It's seven o' clock, genius."

A quick glance at the time proved he wasn't wrong; the time always seemed to escape her when she was doing what she loved. "So it is. Well, can you help me set the table?"

He seemed to consider it before shooting her a malicious grin. "Nah, I don't feel like it."

"Very well."

She set the food down in the center and began on the task, but after a moment his exterior faded and he began helped her. She didn't outwardly smile, but it was still satisfying to know that tactic still worked on types like him.

Frisk came in holding little Beatrice's hand soon after they were done and signaled something, presumably 'Good morning'. Akin muttered something rude in response, but Adeline smiled warmly and tugged two chairs out for them.

"Good morning," she said gently. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mhm," Beatrice mumbled as she slumped into her seat.

Frisk nodded with a smile similar to hers, which was relieving to say the least. It was easy to understand how circumstances like theirs made it hard for children to remain tender and kind, but at least Frisk never stopped trying to be.

The next forty minutes were a blur of the other children entering, bickering over food, flinching when Pops yelled and scattering when Nan eventually threatened to take away 'lunch privileges' if they didn't get out. As she began cleaning up the food for storage, she noticed one of the older girls standing in the doorway. It was fairly obvious to the younger that she didn't want to be seen by Nan, so Adeline excused herself to use the bathroom before slipping out to speak with her.

"Hi," she said gently. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," the girl responded softly. "I know Oswald didn't come in for breakfast again. Is there any way one of us could get something out to him? Asking Nan is futile, but he's skinny enough from doing this kind of stuff all the time. I'm really worried about him."

"Of course," she replied immediately. "I'll sneak some into a baggy and you can just grab it on your way outside."

"Thank you so much."

"Anytime...I'm so sorry, what was your name again?"

"Maria. See you soon, Adeline."

With that the young teen hurried back into the house. For a moment, the young cook stood there absorbing that someone had actually bothered to remember her name. Even Nan usually called her 'brat' or 'Maddy', so to have someone be so sincere with their regard to her almost made her want to cry. Maybe things were the best they could be where she was.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oswald hated the orphanage and he wasn't afraid of expressing it. He wasn't stupid enough to throw tantrums or even complain, but he avoided every interaction as much as humanly could. He hardly ate their food; he much preferred the scraps some of the shops left out for the animals. He usually slept in a tree instead of the cramped boys' room and spoke little more than Frisk.

Nan and Pops either naturally didn't notice and/or didn't care. All they did was whine about how they had too many kids at 31, so having one constantly going missing wasn't a concern of theirs. The only time they minded was when the inspector came, and since he knew that wasn't until the end of the month, he made no attempt at going inside for food.

"Oswald?' He heard a familiar voice call out.

Maria wasn't the other person who at least knew he was at the orphanage; sometimes Frisk or Mich would greet him when he decided to come inside to escape the weather or feed. But she was the only one is consistently came to check on him or provide food or addition shelter, like an umbrella or toilet paper. He'd seen firsthand how terrible of a liar she was, so he wasn't sure how she always managed to sneak them away, but he certainly didn't mind.

"Come on, Ozzy. I know you're up there."

"Hey, Marie," he called back. "Come up if you want."

Marie. She seemed to hate that nickname from anyone but him, and he often wondered why.

"I brought you breakfast," she stated as she got up on his usual branch. "Well, I mean, Adeline got in this baggy and even got this fork, b-but-"

"You do not have to explain yourself to me," he answered before she could finish. "I know what you mean. Thank you."

"And thank her?"

"...Sure. Just do it for me?"

"Certainly."

They sat in silence for the next several minutes as he swallowed down the eggs and two pieces of ham, his eyes darting to his surroundings constantly. He always had to guard the food he got on his own time, so it was nearly impossible for the ten-year-old to relax in normal circumstances. Maria watched him with thoughtful dark eyes, the worry lines etched across her young features to make her look even older than she was.

"...Why do you do this for me, Marie? I never asked you too. I'd be okay if you didn't."

She almost looked hurt for a moment before clearing her face. "Because I would feel awful otherwise. We should all be treated equally."

"But nobody is," he pointed out dully. "You and I both know theirs a social order in there. The popular people get away with everything and never get punished, the other ones take all the abuse. The people in between just try to appease the adults and keep their mouths shut."

"But still," the elder insisted. "I know it's not right, so I don't conform to it."

He nodded slowly and balled up the plastic bag, sticking the fork in a little cup holder he had glued to the trunk of the tree. "Well, thanks anyway. Will I see you again later?"

"I...I think so. I'll try to see you before bedtime?"

As he watched her hug the trunk and start scooting down, he got the powerful urge to tell her what he'd been devising for nearly a year now. He'd detested his life for so long now, and for the past eleven months, ending it didn't seem to be such a bad idea if he did it at the right time in the right way. But looking at her reminded him why he'd stuck around until this point, and that she was the only person he was sure he loved. It went much deeper than a simple romantic crush, piercing into a deep platonic affection that inspired him to tell her the truth for once. She deserved to know and have a choice, too.

"Maria."

The use of her full name made her freeze and look to him with wide eyes. "Yes?"

"I plan to go up to Mt. Ebott," he declared tersely. "Soon. I'm going all the way to wherever the barrier is, and I'm jumping down there."

Her eyes widened more and she was at once back on the limb. "But you'd be falling down an entire mountain! You...You might..."

"Yeah, I know," he responded without missing a beat. "And that's the point."

At once her expression became full of the same deep sadness he'd seen when she first came to the orphanage. "You want to kill yourself."

"...I'm sorry, Maria. It's not like I want to commit suicide, but I'd be willing to go anywhere but here. Even Underground."

"I understand."

He had to admit that response certainly surprised him, but he couldn't help but offer up one of his rare smiles. No matter what had happened in the four years they'd known each other, she always seemed to understand why he acted the way he did and agree with the choices he made.

"But if you're going, you have to do everything you can to survive. And when you do, I'm going to be with you." Her eyes were now full of intensity, the kind that filled him with the sense he could do anything if he just kept her alive and happy.

"Okay," he agreed at once. "We leave on Sunday morning when Nan goes shopping and Pops falls asleep. We can't tell anybody."

He flinched a little as she absorbed this information. They both knew her honesty was the most important thing to her, but it was vital to their plan that she not mention anything to anyone in the next five days. Finally, she sighed and squeezed his hands gently.

"Alright."


	2. The Catalytic Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven children make decisions that change more lives than just their own for the first time.

Micah was an insomniac. Frisk knew this and often tried to stay up with him, but though he'd never admit it, he enjoyed watching them sleep. They were the most peaceful then, their breathing even as they made small sounds of contentment. Beatrice often slept with her and Micah usually set up camp at the window bench, his notebook in hand and glasses clouding up with the cool of night. Nights like these were his favorite despite the fatigue weighed down on his bulky frame; almost everything was right for at least six hours.

Everything was fairly calm as he listened to Nan get up and leave the house; he always preferred Sunday mornings because she rarely bothered waking them up before she left for the day. He gently squeezed Frisk's hand before easing out of the room a few minutes later, not because he wanted to but because he feared Pops's hand if he was caught in there. Nobody else seemed to be awake as he sat on the couch in the living room, so he went back to his sketching and brainstorming until he heard padded footsteps down the stairs.

"Morning," he greeted nonchalantly.

When the person didn't respond, he turned his head and flushed when he saw it was Maria Walker. She was a little older than him at thirteen, and he considered her to be absolutely beautiful. She likely didn't know he existed until just now, but he still managed to develop a small crush on her.

"You okay?" He asked warily as she stared at him.

"I-I..." She stuttered nervously, slowly rocking back and forth on her feet. "I'm just...Going out."

"That's cool," he said softly, trying desperately to ease the tension she was practically radiating. "Um...Is something bothering you?"

"No!" She blurted before flushing further. "I...I-I mean...I have to go. Bye!"

With that she was gone, her long brown hair being the last thing to breeze after her. He stared after her for almost a minute before slowly rising to his own feet and advancing toward where he'd seen her go. Something was obviously very wrong if she was trying to deceive anybody, and he couldn't stand the thought of anything bad happening to her.

"Maria?" He called hopefully as he got outside, the cool air snaking up his arms. "Maria, where are you?!"

Nothing. He supposed he'd just have to find her himself.

...

He found the ribbon she'd had in her hair at the base of the mountain first. It was cold and damp from the ground it'd be on, so he decided she must have started up the mountain at least twenty minutes ago. He wondered why she might be going up at such an odd time before his thoughts filled him with a cold anxiety; he'd have to hurry if he was right.

Unfortunately, he wasn't extremely fast. His weight had him stopping every few minutes, his legs trembling as he continued forcing them up the steep climb. It filled him with shame to think about how out of shape he was, and he had the horrible feeling he'd be much too late at the rate he was going.

"Micah!" A young voice suddenly called out from behind, which surprised him so much he nearly tripped.

Little Beatrice was standing there in all her young pride, her dark hair firmly secured in her own ribbon and small frame covered in layers of clothes that were far too big for her. Given her presence, he wasn't all that surprised to see Frisk trailing right behind her, their own body only clad in a blue striped jumper and dark shorts over leggings.

"Frisk? Tally?" He asked wearily. "Why are you two here? How did you find me? Why did you find me?"

'I heard you yell,' Frisk signed as they came closer. 'The bedroom window was open.'

"Oh my gosh," he groaned immediately. "Did anyone else hear me? Like Pops or one of the tattletales?"

"Just me," Beatrice quipped. "I told Frisk they had to take me if they were going after you or else I'd tell."

'She said she'd be lonely if she didn't come,' Frisk clarified when he looked to them in surprise.

That made me more sense; the poor girl may be tolerant and patient, but she could hardly stand to be away from their older mentor unless she was in one of her moods. Even still, the temperatures only seemed to be dropping, and Mt. Ebbt wasn't exactly known for being safe. Frisk could be too kind for their own good.

"I see. Well, I'm only looking for Maria, so you guys should head back," he said decidedly. "I don't want either of you getting hurt."

'Try to convince them,' Frisk replied pointedly. 'We are not alone.'

He furrowed his eyebrows and slowly walked past them, looking down the portion of mountain he'd finally struggled up. They were pretty far behind, but sure enough there were two more children beginning up the path. He recognized one of them by the bandanna in their hair; why would Akin want to do here? The person with him didn't have anything that stood out about her from a distance, so it was hard to say who she was, but he couldn't guess why they'd be here now.

"Why?" He finally asked.

"Frisk says..." Beatrice translated as he kept his eyes on the new two. "Because she was awake when we left and he might have heard you, too."

"Of course," he groaned. Akin was constantly harassing him whenever he could, so why would he relent now?

Frisk touched his shoulder now and motioned toward the top of the mountain with the top of their eyes, and he sighed. He still had to hurry, now more than ever, but to convince all four of them to leave and not say anything would be next to impossible. He had to go with it for Maria's sake.

"Fine," he relented quietly. "But we have to go now."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frisk didn't let go of Beatrice's hand even after they finally got to the point where the trail ended. The entire journey could've been treacherous with all of the rocks and weak dirt patches, not the mention the ice trying to form everywhere. One wrong step could send either of them tumbling, so they at least wanted to make sure if she tripped she could catch her.

"Frisk," she voiced as Micah began investigating around. "I want to look, too."

'Where?' They merely signed.

"Alone," she replied pointedly. "And you can look alone, too. Maybe we could cover more ground that way."

They hesitated, but finally let her go on the logic that these area was fairly flat. They also knew they'd call for her if things went wrong, so they reluctantly began looking for anything that could indicate where Maria had gone. They never did understand why Micah seemed so infatuated with her, but if she was going to do what they knew she might, it would destroy him. They all had to at least try and help her.

"Ah!" They grunted in alarm as the ground slid underneath them, leaving them on the ground with their wrists throbbing from impact.

"Who's there?!" A voice they didn't recognize suddenly yelled.

They were obviously close, so while they didn't like doing this often, they figured this was a special circumstance. "Hello?"

"Who are you?" The voice demanded. "Where are you?"

"Over here," they called in their croaky, wavering voice. "Where are we? What are you doing up here?"

"Wait," a new voice, one they recognized as Maria's, spoke. "I think I know that voice. Is it...Frisk?"

They appeared from the inside of a cave now, squinting as they looked at them. It was certainly Maria with her long hair and intense gaze, and the boy she was with looked like the boy who was rarely inside the orphanage. They'd only seen him one or twice and certainly didn't remember his name, but by the way they stood near each other with their hands locked, they were extremely close.

"Yes," they managed weakly as they finally rose. "Why are you two up here? Micah is worried about you, Maria."

She frowned deeply before looking to her friend. "I...We were going to jump down. To the Underground, you know."

"Maria!" The boy hissed, but she didn't seem very regretful about telling the truth.

Frisk nodded slowly and approached them now. Now that they were closer, they could tell both of them had layers of clothes around them, maybe even more than she'd equipped Tally with. The boy even appeared to have a pillow under his shirt, tied back by a belt around his middle. They must be sincere about crossing the ancient barrier, and Frisk would be lying if they said they didn't want to join them. (Maybe not for the same reasons, but their curiosity and hope for the future seemed to call them to this decision.)

'Do you want to die?' They signed warily.

"What?" The boy asked flatly.

"D-I-E' they signed lethargically, pointedly, then slid their finger across their neck to prove their point.

"No! No, nothing like that," Maria quickly corrected. "I mean...I don't think so. I made him promise we weren't."

"What she's trying to say is that it was idea to come up here. Things have been bad for both of us for long enough, so I said we should jump the barrier," the boy explained in an almost monotonous, mostly tired tone. "Maybe things could be better away from our own species, or maybe we wouldn't even survive the fall. Maria doesn't agree with the later notion, so here we are. I'm surprised she didn't tell you and you aren't here to join us."

"You can if you want," Maria added softly. "But you'll have to try and find something to break your fall."

'I am not alone,' they replied as slowly as they could, hoping desperately they'd understand so they wouldn't have to speak more.

Maria merely titled her head before slowly nodding. "You...You want to go around?"

"They said they're not alone," Micah's voice spoke suddenly from behind them. "I thought you would be, Maria. Who is this?"

"Oswald," she responded with a blush coating her cheeks. "He lives...Well, he's supposed to live inside the orphanage. He stays outside and to himself most of the time."

"Hm," Micah replied hesitantly. "You two...You two aren't going to jump down there, are you?"

"We aren't intending to commit suicide, genius," Oswald snapped.

"You can't blame him for thinking that might be a possibility!" Maria snipped right back.

"If I really wanted to die, I wouldn't have brought you here! This isn't some suicide pact!"

"What are they supposed to think?! We're still on the top of a mountain right above a massive hole that has a long way down!"

"What in the world are you guys doing?!" Adeline was suddenly standing before all of them, her hair blowing in its braid as she stared at the four with with eyes. "Please, please tell me you're not trying to-"

"For all that is good in this world, NO. We are NOT trying to DIE."

"Oswald, be nice!"

"Then why the hell are you here?" Akin demanded as he came to Adeline's side, and Frisk noted with a jump he had a complacent Beatrice tucked under his arm. "And why the shit would you bring a kid?"

"We're all technically kids," Micah muttered resentfully.

"Did anyone ask for your technicalities, Tubby?" The other boy snapped.

"Don't call him that," Adeline chastised tightly. "I know you care about him or you would've have insisted you come with me after you heard him yelling."

"Yeah, I cared about watching the show," he sneered at once.

"Liar," Beatrice replied simply.

"All of you stop it!" Maria practically yelled and the rest of them fell silent. "Thank you. Look, nobody came up here to die. Ozzy and I came up here to try and start over our miserable lives. Everyone always acts like the monsters are the enemies and humans are the heroes, but every human I've ever met is either abusive, leaves, or is just as miserable as we are. If that's all really the case up here, then maybe monsters can give us a better life. Maybe we can be happy down there."

"Either that or they'll kill us and it'll all be over," Oswald added dryly.

Everyone grew very silent as they processed the information. None of them could disagree that their lives had been far less than ideal throughout their short time in the world, but not all of them were very certain about tossing it all away. Besides, only Maria and Oswald had the extra cushioning that would make it more possible to survive their falls. Life was hard and things rarely seemed like they could ever get better, but ending it all before they could grow up shook all of them to the core. Despite all of that, Maria's hope was inspiring. Maybe they did have a point.

"Ah!"

The small yip turned everyone's heads back toward the large hole as the youngest member of their group teetered over the edge, her tiny feet struggling to find their grip on the icy dirt. Frisk and Akin moved as one, sprinting toward the child and extending their hands in jerks right before the young child disappeared into the dark abyss below.

"FRISK!" She shrieked desperately before she was completely out of sight.

Frisk stood in a state of frozen shock, hardly processing what'd just happened before Akin dove in after her. Micah rushed up behind them and grabbed their shoulders, his hands trembling as he pulled them away from the edge.

"Th-they're gone Frisk," he whispered shakily. "I-I don't know if we can...Lower a-a rope, or...I ca-can't think..."

"We can't leave them down there alone if they survive," Adeline declared with suddenly finality to her voice. "They don't have any supplies without this bag. Maybe if there's more of us, the monsters won't want to hurt us."

"Wait!" Maria yelped and grabbed the younger girl's arm before she could advance further. "Nobody else can fall without padding. Hold onto me and maybe it'll help."

"You can't jump without me," Oswald protested tersely. "We agreed to do this together."

"I have to protect them, Ozzy," she replied softly. "Please, you have to protect them, too."

With that they'd embraced and were gone, just like that. Frisk didn't understand how her fellow orphanage mates could accept this type of risk so quickly and easily, but then again, they supposed they did. They were more than ready to go down, now more than ever, but Micah was openly crying at this point and clutching them like his life depended on it.

"So are you two coming?"

Oswald remained as stoic as he always seemed to be, and when Micah clutched onto Frisk tighter, he merely rolled his eyes and walked behind them. The next thing Frisk knew Micah was tripping over the edge, a mighty scream erupting from his chest in an onslaught of terrified sobs.

"Don't let go, don't let go!" He screamed to his best friend desperately.

"Yeah, don't," Oswald agreed as he wrapped his arms around their torso before pushing off with the bottoms of his feet.

The first thing Frisk felt was the hard dirt smacking against their forehead. Then the darkness came as air rocketed up their airways and around their body; they could hear Micah's petrified screams below them. They hit the ground and rolled off of their best friend as Oswald's grip slackened on them, but before they could try to move or speak, their own darkness overtook them.


	3. In which seven children survive a fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven children fell Underground, some knowing each other well beforehand and others not so much. The fact they have survived this plummet is impressive, but there is still immediate danger that exceeds their HPs as well as one very familiar and cheeky monster who has selected his targets before they even return to consciousness.

Beatrice's head was killing her. As she opened her eyes, she took in the walls extending toward the sky through blurry, watery vision. She could barely think through the throbbing pulsing from the back of her skull, but she did remember her feet sliding out from under her before she free fell into darkness.

Frisk. Where were they? She'd fallen down the hole, down to what the older kids called the 'Underground'. She must be alone now, and now Frisk was up above, probably terrified, probably upset. She had to get back up.

As she sat up, she quickly realized she was not alone at all. There was a crumpled form of an older boy- Akin- laying nearly directly beside her. He looked a lot more beat up than her, his arms scrapped and a small trickle of blood coming from his forehead. Near him, Adeline was sprawled on her side, a large bruise starting at her jaw and spreading down her neck.

A bit further away, there was a pile of people. Upon further inspection, she realized with a start that Micah was at the bottom, his glasses broken beside him and tear stains fresh on his pink face. Oswald was laid out across Micah's back, his arm bent at an awkward angle and his mouth pressed tightly in pain. On their other side, she finally found her Frisk on their back, eyes closed in an almost peaceful sleep.

"Frisk," she said tentatively. "Frisk? Are you okay?"

Their eyes slowly opened and Beatrice offered a mild smile as they sat up. "Tally...Tally, oh my gosh, you're _okay._ "

At once she was embraced in their hug, tears dripping onto the back of her neck as she gently squeezed her friend back. "Yeah, I'm okay. Are you? Why are you down here? Why are we all down here?"

'All?' Frisk signed with a small wince, their hand going to rub their throat after their initial speaking.

"All..." The young girl did a quick count. "Seven of us?"

Her older friend had a distant look in their eyes for a moment, as if remembering the events prior. They nodded slowly as they got to their feet, stumbling forward so harshly they had to be caught.

'We can't stay down here,' they signed decisively. 'We have to go back up.'

"Right, but we need to wait for the others to wake up," the young girl pointed out evenly. "They'll be scared if we leave them here alone."

Her friend considered it for a moment before nodding, making their way closer to Micah and Oswald. 'We need help.'

"From who?" She asked hesitantly. "We dunno how nice or mean the monsters are gonna be."

Frisk let out a soft sigh and nodded again, wincing a bit as they sat down. 'True.'

It was then the small girl sat back down herself, putting her aching skull in her hands. A wave of guilt swelled up in her chest and filled her eyes with tears; it was probably her fault they were all down there. After all, she'd slipped first, and she could hear the sound of someone rushing after her before everything got blurry and dark.

Looking up at the distant light above, she doubted they'd be able to return to the surface as they were. She knew she'd just have to not complain as they tried, and do everything she could to fix what she'd started. She was filled with a sense of...something. She couldn't quite tell with what, but she'd dozed off before a name came to her.

* * *

 

"Howdy!"

The sudden voice in her ear was enough to jolt Maria awake. She was somewhere dark, somewhere further away than the flower bed that was squished beneath the weight of six other children. The cushioning she'd equipped herself with seemed to have done a sufficient job of keeping her alive, but everything throbbed and her muscles burned when she went to sit up.

Before her was a small yellow flower, but it had a face and was...smiling at her? She tilted her stiff neck to the side and squinted in confusion. This was by far the strangest thing she'd ever seen, and she'd certainly encountered her fair share of unusual in her life.

"Who are you?" She asked warily. "You...You shouldn't be scientifically possible."

The flower's grin wavered temporarily before forcing itself to extend it once more, eyes glinting with something more malicious. "Well buddy, you shouldn't be down here, but I don't go around telling you what's possible!"

"I guess not," she said apprehensively. "Sorry, I didn't hear you say your name."

"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" It- he, she determined- declared brightly. "You must be new to the Underground."

"Yes. I just fell down here...Sometime. How long have you been here? Do you know how long I've been out?"

"Whoa, whoa, buddy," he responded tightly. "I'll ask the questions and you just figure it out, kay? Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! Why don't you go wake up your little friends and we'll get started!"

Her friends. She hurried to her feet immediately, stumbling to undo the padding around her as she dropped to her knees in the flowerbed. Oswald's arm was very clearly broken and he was obviously in a lot of pain, and none of the other children seemed to be in much better shape. They needed help or they might not wake up, but based on the flower's idle grin, he wouldn't offer much assistance.

"Hey!" He yelled as she rushed down the corridor. "Just where do you think you're going?! I wasn't finished!"

He was immediately in front of her yet again, his grin once more strained as something thorny and strong wrapped around her ankles. "Let's try this again. Here in the Underground, everyone obtains power through LV."

"LV?" She repeated with her voice wavering in fear.

"LV stands for love, silly!" He declared with a small wink.

"You're lying," she discerned immediately, and instantly his jolly expression stretched into an exasperated glare. "You didn't wink before while you were talking, and now you are. You're trying to fool me but it won't work."

"Alright, SmartyPants." His voice was lower now, practically a growl as the vines around her ankles tightened painfully. "You know what's going on around here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer."

"What are you-?!"

"Then I'll just remind you of the one very simple rule we have around here," he said in the same jolly voice he used before. "In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED."

A dark blue heart was sudden glowing a bit away from her chest, pulsating softly as it glowed. She wanted to reach out and touch it in curiosity, but was rapidly snapped out of her awed state when she noticed the white flower petal-shaped bullets surrounding it.

"What are you doing?!" She cried in fear as Flowey laughed manically, the bullets pressed closer as the heart seemed to shake in fear with her. "Please! What are you doing? Please, show some-!"

A fireball suddenly rocketed out from the right of the room, knocking the small monster out of the sight as he yelped in pain and alarm. Maria immediately stumbled back as another monster appeared from further in the darkness, trembling softly as it stopped.

"Oh my goodness," it- she- spoke softly. "A human child. You fell down here, did you not?"

"S-stay back!" Everything in her wanted to flee back down the corridor, but the thought of seeing her wounded friends made everything in her feel heavy. "I-I...I'll...!"

"Please, my child," the female monster said in the same gentle, patient voice. "I will not hurt you. That flower...Such a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth. You need not be afraid of me. I am Toriel, Caretaker and Guardian of the RUINS."

"The RUINS?" She repeated, but after stumbling back her body throbbed and ached anew. "I...Please, ma'am, my friends- well, my fellow orphans- they're hurt very badly. Is there anybody you know that could help us? I don't know what to do, and I'm so scared for them and I don't want to trust you, but...Please."

"Your friends?" Toriel asked before bringing her paws to her chest. "There are more of you? Of course I will heal you all, but where are they? How many?"

"U-uh...seven, maybe?" Everything felt entirely too heavy now; she didn't even want to get up to show this monster the way. "I know I'm not as badly hurt as them, but I'm so tired..."

Suddenly the royal blue heart was glowing in front of her again, making her recoil in fear. Whatever it was, it was obviously weak and could be targeted by aggressive, insane demon flowers, so she had to get rid of it. Before she could read out to touch it, Toriel's paws cupped around it and Maria flinched hard in fear.

"Oh, dear child. He truly frightened you," she said sympathetically. "But you can trust me."

Her body suddenly felt full of energy, better than she'd felt in her entire life. Even her bones seemed to hum with pleasure as she was carefully lifted to her feet; now the blue heart before her was glowing as brightly as before.

"What did you do?" She inquired in a state of stunned awe. "I feel amazing. I've never felt so alive!"

"I restored your HP, my dear," Toriel responded kindly. "You must be so confused. For now, please take me to your friends and allow me to do the same for them. Then I shall guide all of you through the RUINS."

The others; of course. She moved more quickly than she believed she could, her feet scraping up dust behind her as she raced toward them. Oswald was sitting up now as well as Akin, and both jumped when she came tearing inside with her new ally in tow.

"Marie?" Oswald questioned, his voice full of pain as he stared up at both of them. "Marie! Behind you, there-!"

"This is Toriel, Ozzy," she explained quickly. "She can help us all, okay? I know you don't like to trust people, but she...She 'healed' me and it feels amazing. If you don't want to trust her, please just trust me for now. Alright?"

He was blatantly not amused by his options, but when Toriel walked to him, he didn't recoil or pull out the small handgun she knew he'd stolen for Pa's room before they fled earlier. A yellow heart floated out of him when she extended out her hands, which was easily enough to make him recoil and glare, but after a few moments he was standing and flexing out his once broken limb.

"So many children," the older monster observed in a maternal whisper. "And all so terribly young. Do not worry, little ones. I will take care of you now. It's been so long since I had babies of my own, but I will protect you from now on."

From now on. Maria had no clue as to the specifics from where her love came from, but she had a feeling she probably had or had once had children of her own that she somehow didn't protect. If what she was thinking was true, she was at least positive this goat-esque mother was not going to fail again.

Akin didn't trust this goat lady. She was a little too nice to heal their 'HP' or whatever she called it, and then offer to take them through the RUINS without trapping them. When he'd finally relented and let her fix the orange heart that floated out of his body, she'd even thanked him and assured him she wouldn't betray his faith in her. Even though he seemed to be the most wary (especially Beatrice and Micah had hugged her like the babies they were), he still led the group when she told them to follow her. The half-mute freak that was Frisk was close, but he was still sure to be the leader.

"So, my children," Toriel said gently as they entered a new room. "What you saw appear before you were your SOULs. They are the very culmination of your beings. If it's damaged, you yourself are damaged, and vice versa. In order to keep track of your health during conflicts, you must watch your HP. There are ways to restore HP other than my healing, but none of you should have to worry about that."

"What's that glowing star over there?" He asked loudly as soon as he noticed it.

She turned around, but almost immediately turned back around with a look of confusion on her furry face. "What glowing star? Oh, my child, you must be so tired you're seeing things. Let us proceed."

Her accusation sent a fresh wave of energy through him; nobody called him delusional! He marched to the star at once and turned sharply to the other children, all of which were hanging back at the entryway with mixed expressions.

"Well, you see it too, don't you?!" He demanded at once.

"Yes, we do," Adeline replied, her voice sounding way too much like Toriel's for his preference. "We just want to see you touch it first. You're the most brave out of us, it seems."

His chest puffed with pride and nodded once. "Yeah! Just wondered why you were all being sissies, but whatever!"

When he touched the star, a sense of calm immediately washed over his entire being. A voice that he didn't recognize spoke calmly in the back of his mind, it's tone not giving away a gender while remaining direct and clear.

"The entrance to the RUINS looms over you. You are filled with bravery."

**FILE SAVED.**

"What the hell?!" He yelped as the words flashed briefly before his eyes, planting his feet firmly. "What's going on?! Is this some kind of joke!?"

"What are you talking about?" Adeline questioned carefully, slowly approaching him as she stared at the pulsating star. "What did it do when you touched it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Touch that thing and see for yourself!" He demanded.

When she obeyed him, she tensed up immediately and stared into the distance for a moment before refocusing back on him. "A voice I've never heard before...It said I was filled with kindness, and then some words said my 'file' was saved. What does that mean?"

Adeline moving and his outburst seemed to be enough to motivate the others to move, and one by one they all touched the star and reported different sentences being said to them by a strange voice. None of that it made any sense to Akin, but that voice had a point; he was ready to get to the bottom of this and fight whoever got in his way.

"Children?" Toriel was standing in the entrance again, her smile as patient as ever. "Please, do come along. There is much to learn."

He still didn't trust her, but when the others began making their way up the stairs, he pushed past them all to be the closest. Maybe he didn't like her that much, but they did, and they were going to have to depend on him to keep them safe if things went south. He was more than ready for anything like that to happen, and he sure as hell wasn't afraid of the possibility. After all, he knew he'd have to be ready for anything when he dove after Beatrice when she fell, and he was now more than ever.

* * *

 

It was clear to Frisk the others hadn't seen what they'd seen. They all reported similar sentences and the 'file' saving when they touched this point, but none of them mentioned the person who appeared before them with an idle smile on their face. They wore a light green jumper with a single yellow strip across the middriff, and from hair to shoes, they were almost identical in appearance.

"The shadow of the RUINS looms above you. You are filled with determination."

**FILE 1 SAVED.**

The ghost then looked to the other six children waiting expectantly and gave a small half smile. "The other children look to you for validation and protection. Their unspoken friendship and dependence fills you with determination."

**FILE 1.5 SAVED.**

Like that they were gone, and Frisk was left to omit what they'd witnessed in a daze. The ghost didn't seem to mean harm, but they definitely saw right through them. As they'd done most of their life, they simply figured they were going to have to figure out their part in this new journey alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: And so concludes Chapter 3! I'd like to give a big shoutout to everyone has read this story; you all are the best! Please, remember to leave a kudos and a comment! Also, you should all know I'm going to begin referring to Frisk with female pronouns in the future chapters. There will be a section near the beginning to make that transition more natural, but since this is group tale, using 'they' all the time gets exceptionally confusing.
> 
> Also, I won't say in what way or anything too major here, but Chara is definitely going to be a key part in this story. After all, it is all of the fallen humans I'm talking about in some way or another. =)
> 
> Lastly, who is your favorite fallen human thus far? I've finally been able to let you all into each of their thought processes, at least once and at least temporarily, so my curiosity grows. See you guys soon! =)


	4. Seven Opinions on Four Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In-game battle mechanics are difficult to learn and navigate when playing in the world of Undertale by yourself. With seven children with different convictions and hopes, it only grows more difficult to co-operate in harmony.

Most of the children had mixed reactions to the fact the RUINS consisted mostly of puzzles. Adeline didn't mind herself, but Akin seemed pretty upset about having to use more time to problem-solve. Beatrice had tried to pat his arm and reassure him, but the look he'd given her sent her skittering behind Frisk.

"There isn't anything we can do about it," Micah had snapped and received a glare in response, but once they'd quieted down, she touched his shoulder carefully.

"I know it sounds upsetting," she said in a soft voice. "But we're all smart and so are you. We can get this through together, alright?"

"Together?" He'd grumbled, but she could tell by the glint in his eyes she'd gotten through to him.

"In order to make progress here, you will have complete little tasks," Toriel explained patiently as they huddled near the entrance. "But do not worry, I'm sure you can do it! I even labelled them."

Akin waltzed further in immediately, looking across the walls briefly before running up to the first clearly labelled switch. Micah and Beatrice followed behind briskly, the older of the two gently lifting her up to pull the other lever. When the room trembled briefly and the door opened, she grinned contently and laid her head against his shoulder; the sight of it made the nine year old girl smile.

"Very good," Toriel praised immediately, a genuine smile on her face. "I am very proud of you all."

"But we didn't even do anything," Maria quipped with disappointment in her voice. "We were useless."

"There is much do and learn here, my child," the goat mother soothed immediately. "Do not worry. There are so many of you, it'd be silly to think you would all do everything. I am confident you will find your purposes soon."

Maria seemed pretty reassured by her words, so they walked on slowly. Adeline found herself lagging behind a bit, her eyes looking up to the rocky ceiling above. It wasn't small for them or Toriel, but she wondered how any other monster that was bigger could fit in such a small, cramped area. A pang of pity surged through her at once; those poor monsters.

"Now that you are here," the motherly monster explained, interrupting her thoughts. "You will occasionally encounter other monsters. These monsters may...Well, they may want to have conflict with you all. However, do not fear! Just stall for time before I can arrive and solve the situation. These encounters will be known as entering a FIGHT, and I do not want you to be alarmed with the mechanics of how to stall. Please practice on this training dummy."

The dummy was about Adeline's height, and looked void of life and certainly not threatening. Akin smirked and immediately advanced on the creature, but before he could reach it, the entire room went black all around them. At once her brash friend was slumped up against an invisible barrier, his glare focused on the training dummy still standing stationary before them.

 _"You encountered the dummy."_ She jumped at the voice speaking in her head again, but given the others' expressions, they'd heard it, too.

"Whoa!" Beatrice gasped and gripped onto Micah more tightly, her eyes peeking out from behind him fearfully. "Our...Those are our SOULS?"

"Yeah, dummy," Akin replied indignantly.

"He didn't know either," she rationalized evenly. "We are all just as surprised as you, sweetheart. Why are they out there?"

_"The battle mechanics are alarming but simple. The others' confusion fills you with kindness."_

She didn't know how this mysterious voice seemed to have knowledge of everything, but it was right yet again. This time she ventured forward, gently pressing on the invisible barrier. To her surprise, it did do something; four orange options suddenly appeared before them all.

**FIGHT ACT ITEM MERCY**

"Fight, Act, Item and Mercy?" Micah repeated while pushing up his glasses. "These seem to be the only options we can choose. What items could we possibly have?"

"It just says I have a 'manly bandanna' and a 'tough glove'," Akin announced after a moment. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"What you're wearing." Frisk's voice alarmed all of them, making Adeline jump a bit and look back to them with an encouraging smile.

"Oh, and you know  _so much_ ," he spit back accusingly. "Y'know, what the hell even is your gender?! You don't look like a boy or a girl!"

Frisk merely smiled patiently and brought a hand to their throat; it must hurt to speak so much. "You may refer to me with female pronouns if that makes you more comfortable."

 _"I will act as their- or 'her'- narrator from now on,"_ the mystery voice noted.  _"I can translate their signs."_

At once the group looked toward Frisk in alarm, but she didn't seem to have any answers either, as she was staring up in confusion as well. Whoever this voice's owner was, they were obviously very smart. It would certainly be to all of their advantages to stay on their good side and follow their advice.

"We should do something," Oswald stated before pressing the  **FIGHT** option.

"No! Toriel said to stall, not to hurt them!" Beatrice yipped, her small hand pressing the  **ACT** option.

As they made their selections, Adeline noted that small copied images appeared beside the large four options that were plastered over their heads. She watched curiously as Micah's heart appeared on MERCY, then Akin's appeared on FIGHT, and Maria's appeared on ACT. After Frisk's appeared on MERCY, she realized with a start that it was up to her break a tie. She certainly didn't want to fight and it seemed tedious to try and ACT for now, so she opted to MERCY.

_"Dummy stands around aimlessly."_

"That did a lot of good," Akin commented sarcastically, opting once more to FIGHT.

"Then let's try talking?" Beatrice suggested calmly as she repeated her prior choice.

This time the group decision was 6 to 1 in favor of acting, so new options appeared in place of the ACT: Check or Talk. Now they selected one unanimously, causing something very strange to happen to their SOULS. They merged temporarily to form a rainbow-colored heart, tapping against the TALK option. Adeline knew she said something, but her lips moved too suddenly to process it and she couldn't hear her own voice.

_"You all talk to the Dummy...It doesn't seem to be much for conversation. Toriel seems pleased."_

"Very good, my children!" Said goat mother praised eagerly, a large smile on her face as she gazed on them. "I'll be honest, I was not sure how your mechanics would work as a group. But you all did very well! Thank you for being merciful and working together."

She walked briskly into the next room, but Micah's voice was enough to make them all pause. "You know, I find it oddly satisfying that we made her proud in the end. But we can't do that every time if we don't have too. I mean...That took too long, and it got confusing."

_"Frisk says she agrees."_

"Uh huh," Beatrice said softly.

"Well, maybe if you could all just listen to  _me_ -" Akin began, but Adeline had tolerated just about enough of his brash, inconsiderate attitude.

"I hate to interrupt," she interjected. "But I propose we listen to each other. Perhaps we could discuss it together before we act, or somehow merge our SOULS like it did when we all agreed. We could take turns from there, maybe?"

"Take turns?!" Akin complained. "Why should I have to listen to one of you?!"

"Micah is right and so is Adeline," Maria declared and narrowed her eyes sternly at him. "Your constant complaining is just going to make things worse for all of us, including yourself. Hush if you won't offer anything better."

When the others nodded slowly in agreement and all of the girls gave her a gentle smile, Adeline couldn't help but blush and beam in pride. She didn't need the voice to guide her thoughts now; their consideration and compliance filled her with kindness.

* * *

"I was going to let you solve this alone," their makeshift mother commented. "But I believe this will be too difficult for such young children. Here, take my hand."

She extended her paw toward them, and Frisk decided to take it first when the others hesitated. Her hold was gentle and warm, just like she'd imagined it might be. The little ghost above her was smirking, their arms crossed over their chest as they looked on.

 _"Told ya you could trust her,"_ they noted smugly.

Behind them, Frisk watched out of the corner of her eye as Beatrice wiggled down from Micah's arms and grabbed onto her other hand. Micah followed naturally, and blushed when Maria held onto him. Akin grabbed hers, likely to seem braver than he looked when he flinched at Toriel's request, and even seized Adeline's before she could move.

"Hold on tight, my children," Toriel instructed gently. "You do not want any of you to get hurt."

She began leading them across the grid of spikes, her expression never changing as she stepped barefoot onto the metal. Frisk couldn't help but frown with concern, but her Tally voiced her thoughts for her.

"Doesn't that hurt?" The five-year-old questioned worriedly.

"No, my child," she soothed softly. "Our feet are made differently than yours. We are made to handle rougher and sharper surfaces with minimal discomfort."

"That would be why you didn't want us trying this alone," Micah rationalized. "We couldn't afford a mistake."

"Precisely. You are all very smart," Toriel praised as they reached the end of the puzzle. "The next room awaits."

Before they could enter, however, the entire area went black and a small frog creature appeared in their path, it's eyes narrowed at all of them.  _"Froggit hopped close!"_

"I still say we fight it!" Akin declared as he glared back. "Who's with me? We'll show him whose boss!"

"Toriel is boss," Beatrice voiced easily.

"We're going to take turns, remember?" Adeline reminded gently. "How should we decide who gets control when?"

"The most logical and practical solution is to go by age. After all, age typically leads to experience," Micah offered after a moment of consideration. "If I'm not mistaken, Maria is the oldest out of us seven."

"You seem to know a lot about her," Oswald commented flatly, causing Frisk's best friend to blush. "Why?"

"It wouldn't be too hard to guess that," Adeline mused while placing a reassuring hand on his back along with herself. "She has...notable physical differences than us, and she is the tallest."

"You mean her-" Oswald began, but Maria cut him off with a quick press of her hand to his mouth.

"That'll be enough!" She hissed with a bright blush. "Yes, I am the oldest because I'm thirteen. If I'm going to make the decision, however...How do we make our SOULS do the...mergy thing?"

That was a very good question. Frisk looked up toward her ghost companion now, signing 'How?', and they smirked and shrugged in response.

'That's helpful,' she responded with a disbelieving look.

 _"Look, Queen Mom didn't know how your mechanics would work either,"_ they replied smartly.  _"Why the heck would I know? I'm just a kid."_

"Hey, Voice! Whoever you are!" Akin yelled suddenly. "What the heck are we supposed to do now?!"

_"You've got to be kidding me."_

She frowned but nodded; that made sense, but they still needed to come up with something before Toriel grew more concerned than she already was. Their goat mother had said before that their SOULS was the very culmination of their being. If that was case, surely they could control them to gravitate toward each other.

" _Frisk says, 'Try to focus on your SOUL and move it. We are them, so we should decide what they do."_

Her idea worked, which made everyone grin with pride in the end. But they moved very differently; for example, Adeline's gravitated to the center and stayed stationary, Tally's wouldn't move until Frisk's moved, and Micah's only seemed to be able to move up or down. Nevertheless, they did make it to the same place, and as soon as they all connected the rainbow heart appeared once again. The sensation that pulsated through her was an extreme power that seemed to course through her veins, but it made her skin crawl just as hard.

"Make a decision quickly," she heard Oswald grunt from behind her. "This feels weird..."

Maria nodded once and tapped the ACT option, then to Talk once again. This time only she spoke, but Frisk felt her lips move soundlessly in the same pattern as hers nevertheless.

"H-hello Froggit," she greeted cautiously. "You're looking really...green today. It suits you."

_"Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was flattered anyway."_

Only now did Toriel appear and glare at the creature until it slunk away, and the words claiming they'd won appeared and gained nothing from it appeared briefly. Her ghost applauded silently and smirked at the look she gave in return, but she was quickly distracting but the others' excitement.

"That was so cool!" Akin announced eagerly as he gently punched Maria's shoulder. "Good job, Old Lady!"

"Well done," Oswald agreed.

"We won!" Beatrice agreed and hugged onto Maria's waist eagerly. "You made the right choice!"

_"Frisk is proud of you."_

"I was going to ask you to walk down this corridor alone," Toriel said with a tone of pride in her voice after the celebration settled. "But I see that you all are both independent and able to work in a team setting. I will trust you all to be alone while I go attend to things across the rest of the RUINS. Do not leave this hallway while I am gone; it will be dangerous without my presence."

"You can count on us, Mom!" Beatrice replied eagerly before blushing brightly.

"Did...Did you just call me Mom?" The motherly monster repeated with a wide smile forming. "Well, please, call me whatever you like! And please, take this cell phone if you need to speak with me while I'm away. Do share, play nicely, and be good, alright?"

She exited and Beatrice buried her face in Frisk's stomach immediately, encouraging her to pick her small friend up.  _"Frisks say to not be embarrassed, Tally Mark. It was cute and she took to it well. She even seemed happy about it."_

"Well, I'm going to explore," Akin decided after only a moment or two. "See you all later."

"But Toriel said to stay here," Micah protested at once. "How are you going to handle it if someone fights with you?"

"I'll fight them back," he replied as boldly as he always did. "Any of you losers coming with me?"

"If you promise not to refer to any of us as 'losers' again, I'd love too," Adeline said in her 'Toriel' voice.

"Me too!" Maria suddenly proclaimed with another red blush covering her face when they all looked to her surprise. "And...I'm sure Ozzy will come if I'm going, right?"

He nodded once in reply and Micah made a face. "She said to wait here and I agree with her; it's the safest. Beatrice, Frisk, and I will all stay here while you go get yourselves hurt or killed."

Beatrice nodded happily in response and she chose not to respond right away, so she watched as the other four exited the room talking among themselves. She didn't want to disappoint her best friend or leave Tally, who was still holding onto her close, but she wanted to take some time and get to know the ghost still watching her expectantly. Even they wanted to go more than stand around until their mother returned.

'I'm going to go explore alone,' Frisk signed after putting the smaller girl down several minutes after the group was gone. 'I won't go too far, I promise. Call if you need me.'

"If you insist," Micah responded warily, but he smiled softly when she frowned. "I trust you more than them to not do something stupid."

'Thank you. I'll be back soon.'

As soon as she walked out, she saw another glowing star in a pile of autumn-red leaves. As she hurried to it and jumped into it on instinct, she couldn't help but smile when they crunched under her. She loved her friends dearly, but the realization she was 'alone' for the first time in months was exhilarating.

_"Playing in the leaves fills you with determination."_

**FILE 2 SAVED.**

'So if you're going to be with me constantly and narrate my life, I should at least know your name,' she signed purposefully. 'You know my name is F-R-I-S-K."

The little ghost smirked and considered it briefly before lowering to stand on the ground before her, their left hand raising in front of their chest. "C-H-A-R-A."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: And there you have it! A lot of this chapter was exposition, but the next chapter will focus much more of character development throughout the RUINS. I got inspiration for the original group-battle mechanics from another Grouptale author, so shoutout to benedicteggs. Even if I did end up changing it, I thought they deserved the credit for being my inspiration!
> 
> Don't forget to review! Who is your favorite human so far? Do you have any suggestions or predication of where this story will go next?


	5. How to Navigate the RUINS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time since their initial fall, the children have split up in order to learn more about what awaits them Underground whilst Toriel is away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of the longer ones, and though there will certainly be even more lengthy ones in the future, I do hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Somebody once told Oswald that he would learn something new every day. In that case, today he learned that Maria had a sweet tooth.

"Aw man, you knocked it over," Akin complained when the bowl tipped off of the stand.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll clean it up!" She squeaked, a blush renewing on her face as she scooped all the candy up into trembling hands.

To his surprise, he didn't have to glare at the other boy before his expression softened somewhat as he leaned down to help. "Don't worry about it. It's not the end of the world, and besides, they're wrapped."

She smiled softly and blinked quickly. "I...I guess you're right. I mean, I know I over-reacted, but..."

"Nan treated you harshly," Oswald interjected coolly. "Of course you're going to have side effects from it."

"I guess so..." She replied softly, clearly still embarrassed.

"Well, we know so," Adeline soothed as she rubbed a hand across her hair. "Don't apologize for how you feel. You're just as entitled as the rest of us."

"Thank you. All of you." She accepted Oswald's outstretched hand now as she got to her feet, a small smile accenting her pink cheeks. "Should we continue?"

"Yes. Onward!" Akin declared and jogged out of the room.

"Wait up!"Adeline quipped and hurried after him at once, but he and his best friend walked behind more slowly, her hand securely holding his.

"Do you think we'll be okay down here?" She asked after they exited the room with the leaves. "Like...Will we settle down?"

"I think we will," he replied. "It will take some adjusting. For example, the air is considerably less fresh down here. The rooms are more cramped despite their length."

"How can you tell about the air?" She frowned and tilted her head to the side.

"I spent most of my days in a tree," he rationalized. "After a while, you realize the differences between what's on the ground and what's far above."

"I see. So what's it like Underground?"

"...Thick. Polluted. This air has little to no chance to recycle, so it's probably infected." This seemed to horrify her, so he quickly tried to fix it before he blushed. "I-I mean, I'm sure things will affect us as humans differently. Our immune systems are surely different."

"But still," she noted with a wrinkle of her nose. "Kind of gross to think about."

He tipped the brim of his hat down to let the shadow hide his cheeks. "I suppose you're right."

Not to his own surprise, he ended up bargaining with the indignant rock in the next room. Akin's temper was much too short for that kind of thing, Adeline was far too kind, and Maria was very unsettled by the Underground as a whole.

"Look at this cheese," Akin noted in the following room. "It looks like it's been stuck to the table for years."

"Gross," Adeline noted. "It must be really moldy."

"Wait, look!" Maria declared as she peered into the small hole in the wall. "There's a little mouse in here. Maybe it wants the cheese?"

"Here, let's help him..." Adeline agreed, cringing when the cheese didn't budge on the table. "It probably doesn't want something this old."

"Mice aren't picky," he mused. "They don't act like it on the Surface, at least. Maybe monster mice are different."

"Then we'll just bring it something else," the younger girl decided. "Then it won't matter if it wanted it because what we give it can be even better."

The next room had a ghost inside, laying on his back as he kept his eyes closed. He was obviously pretending to sleep, but something about him just saying 'Z' over and over gave it away that he was faking.

"Hello?" Adeline called out softly. "Sir? Are you alright?"

"A-are they gone yet...?" The little ghost whimpered, sighing softly when he saw the four of them above him. "No? I'm sorry to be a bother."

"Well, you're kind of in our way," Akin noted. "Can you move it?"

"C-can't you just walk around me?" He sighed again, frowning more when the impatient boy tried moving him with force and they entered a FIGHT immediately. "Oh no..."

_"Here comes Napstablook!"_

"Shit!" Akin yipped at once. "No, I don't- You know what, fine! Which one of us is the next oldest?!"

"We're both ten," he noted, trying to be decisive despite his agitation. "I was born in June. Yourself?"

"Ha! March!" The other declared eagerly.

Unsurprisingly, the other boy immediately chose to FIGHT. Napstablook moaned in protest as a green bar appeared in front of him, revealing as his HP lowered a bit with the hit. Squiggly tears were suddenly pushing out of his eyes, and all four of them yipped and cringed when their rainbow heart got struck with two of them. It felt like Pa's belt on his bare back, and the memory made Oswald grit his teeth and glare at the brasher child.

"Don't let that happen again," he growled, but given how Akin was clutching his stomach, he figured he wouldn't.

"Look, we're gonna have to fight to survive," the other snapped back. "Not everyone is going to get flattered or be useless like a dummy."

"Toriel didn't think so!" Adeline protested as she cradled one arm in the other. "If she's lived here longer than all of us, then she should know what she's talking about!"

"I'm not MERCYing like a weakling," the other ten year old snipped. "But if you insist, we can ACT. I'm gonna THREAT! Hey, Ghost! I'll pull your SOUL to shreds if you don't piss off!"

"Akin!" Adeline yipped in a small half whimper, half cry. "That's horrible!"

The tear that hit their combined SOUL was no better than his attitude. Oswald was ready to shove him down and take control, but to his surprise the nine year old girl went marching up to him and seized his ear. Akin yelped, of course, but he didn't glare as much as he merely looked like he'd been caught in the act.

"If you're not going to be nice, you will not lead anymore," she stated tightly. "I will tell everyone what a jerk you are and how you're trying to get us killed. Is that clear?"

"What are you, Nan?" He grumbled, but the blush lighting up his face said it all.

**CHEER**

"Heh..." Napstablook chuckled a bit, and this time the tears fell far enough apart so they could dodge all of them this time.

"Our HP is 8 out of 20," Maria commented nervously, the sweat on her face prominent. "Why don't we try and eat something? Maybe that will help us feel better?"

"Do we all take one?" Adeline inquired nervously as she pulled out a piece of Monster Candy. "Or would it work across all of us since our SOULS are technically one right now?"

"Only one way to find out!" Akin announced before sticking one of his into his mouth.

A bit of energy immediately filled Oswald's aching body, and he couldn't help but smirk with satisfaction. Combining their 'rainbow heart' and this knowledge would save them a lot of time, and would make it easier if they ever fought anyone more dangerous. Eating the item did cost them a turn, however, which could prove concerning in the long run; he wondered if there were items that could fill their HP faster.

**CHEER**

"Hey, Napstablook, what do you call a fly with no legs?" Akin joked. "A walk!"

"Heh..." The little ghost chuckled, and this time his attack simply read  _REALLY NOT FEELING UP TO IT RIGHT NOW, SORRY._

"I understand that feeling," Maria giggled from behind him, and he didn't understand why that made him blush, but at least she didn't see.

**CHEER**

_"He wants to show you something."_

"Let me try..." He muttered, and soon his tears were flowing upward until they formed a little top hot on his head. "I call it 'Dapper Blook'. D...do you like it..."

"I love it!" The younger girl squeaked eagerly when the CHEER option was pressed, surely before Akin consented to it, but he didn't mention it if that was the case.

"Oh gee..."

The FIGHT was over after that, and the ghost seemed flustered enough to blush if he could. "I usually come to the RUINS because nobody's ever around...But today I met people who were nice. Oh, and by the way...You can't really kill me, since I'm non-corporeal and all...I was just lowering my HP to be polite...I'm sorry, I talked too long again...Ooh..."

With that he was gone, and the boy with the orange soul immediately raced ahead to cover his obvious embarrassment. As much as he didn't care for him, he figured that experience would probably do his humility a bit of good. Sweet Adeline immediately hurried after him, calling to him and asking him to wait up, but once again Maria merely came to his side and rolled her eyes.

"I hope he'll stop putting up the front around us," she noted in a low voice. "It's more annoying than impressive."

"You think it's a front?" He asked incredulously. "Is he smart enough to front?"

"Come on, Ozzy," she chided softly, and now her face was reflecting something softer, more compassionate. "He's always lived in the orphanage with Nan and Pa. He's never known anything else, and you know he got harassed as soon as he wasn't a cute baby anymore. He had to learn to be tough or he wouldn't survive in there. Adeline is convinced he's a sweetheart on the inside, and I don't really believe that, but he isn't as bad as he wants us to believe."

He knew she had a point, so he simply nodded and grunted. In his own experience, there were worst things to experience than growing up in an abusive home one's entire life, but maybe he was just biased based on his own reasons for being an orphan. Maybe Akin could prove him wrong.

The rest of the rooms were definitely interesting. They encountered a bake sale, which they eat got an item from despite the girls hardly touching theirs before stuffing it in their pockets, and four frogs that detailed more mechanics of the world with a small, ant-sized frog in the wall that Maria found. They all attributed Akin to knowing where the hole-traps were (after he fell in them), and along the way they MERCIED five or six 'Vegatoids', 'Whimsums', 'Froggits', or 'Moldsmols'. (Adeline thought they were all cute. Oswald did not.)

After the room that changed perspectives based on switches, the brave boy began carrying a very discombobulated nine year old on his back. Once they saw the red leaves, all of them pulled a small face of discontent; surely they hadn't gone in a large semi-circle. He wasn't sure how the Underground worked, but what if there were portals or something?

"Goodness, I hope they're alright..." A familiar voice mused from the other end of the red leaves, and both girls smiled when they saw their 'goat mother' making their way toward them. "Oh! My children! How...How did you all get here? Where are your siblings?"

"Siblings?" Both boys repeated.

"We explored the RUINS," Maria admitted with a blush. "Our curiosity got the better of us, ma'am. We're...We're sorry for disobeying you. I know we probably deserve some punishment, b-but-"

"Punishment? Oh, of course not," Toriel interrupted in her maternal way. "It was irresponsible of me to try and surprise you like this. Besides, I had a feeling that something was not correct when only Micah and Beatrice spoke to me on the phone. You were bound to end up here in the end; I'm just happy you're mostly unscathed. Here, let me heal you and we'll go get your siblings. Now now, don't fuss, my children. You're safe."

Safety was not a concept Oswald was overly familiar with. As a matter of fact, he considered it to be a theory more than a reality. But as they were led back through the RUINS with her in the lead, keeping them away from any more monster FIGHTS, he was grateful that the other three could believe her.

* * *

"Puppy!"

The RUINS were scary to small Beatrice. Having Frisk and Micah around was reassuring, just like at the orphanage, but the looming shadows and broken down materials were scarier than Nan's glare or Pa's scream. Maybe it was just because Frisk always took their unkind hands or their punishments, but she almost wanted to go back to the Surface as soon as they could. At least the sun was up there, and the wind was fresh and there were friendly merchants who sometimes gave all of the children treats.

But right now, she was playing with a small white dog that was licking her face eagerly. He'd come out of nowhere and nearly made Micah jump out of skin, but she was relieved to see another happy face. Her older brother figure was watching from a calculated distance, something between a smile and a cringe playing on his lips.

"Be careful, Tally," he cautioned. "He might bite you."

"He won't!" She replied with the utmost confidence; this puppy was too friendly, too excited.

He barked as if to agree, and she couldn't help but laugh and pull him closer to her face. She wasn't sure if he was a monster dog or regular, but he was the most Surface-like thing she'd seen other than his oddly shaped legs and pin-esque eyes. She watched Micah out of the corner of her eyes as he inched toward the exit of the room, peeking his head out with a shiver going down his body.

"Frisk?" He called hesitantly.

_"Frisk says that she's fine and that you don't have to worry, but she asks if anything is wrong."_

"Well...There's a dog," he noted uneasily. "I just don't want it to hurt Tally."

_"Is it a small white dog with buttons that look like eyes?"_

"Yeah!"

_"That's Toby. He won't hurt you, not even if you try to cross him."_

"Toby," she crooned affectionately as she placed a kiss on his furry cheek. "That's a perfect name for a perfect good boy like you. Isn't it?"

He wagged his tail more eagerly now, placing his paws on her shoulders and making her lay on her back consequently. Micah was directly over them now, his hands forming trembling fists at hips now. Toby didn't hurt her though, just stuffed his nose into her pocket and wagged despite there being no food.

"G-get off her," he said hesitantly. "N-now..."

To her disappointment, he complied and looked up with his tongue lolling out, so she gently poked the older boy's arm. "You gotta pet him!"

"What if he has monster fleas?" He asked with a grimace.

"He won't," she assured the best she could. "He's really a good boy, Micah."

"You think everyone's good, Tall," he responded with a sad smile; she didn't understand why he looked so upset about that, but she still wanted to make him trust Toby.

"But he's very nice," she insisted kindly. "He didn't have any fleas. He only wants love, just like us. Trust me?"

He frowned but nodded slowly, managing another ghost of a smile. "Only because it's you, Tally Mark."

He was obviously still nervous as he reached down and rubbed between his ears, but the second he started wagging, he visibly released tension. She smiled contently herself, cupping her hands over her mouth to conceal her words.

"Thank you, Voice," she whispered.

_"No problem, Tally Mark."_

The five year old smiled wider now; if they were using that name, that could surely be trusted. It was then she saw a familiar figure in the doorway, the sight of her welcoming smile encouraging the child to spring to her feet and run to hug her.

"Toriel!" She called eagerly as she reached the goat monster. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"I am sorry, my child. Was I gone too long?" She tutted, softly lifting her into her arms and embracing her to her chest. "I apologize if you got bored."

"No no, Micah and I were okay!" She assured with a small kiss to the cheek. "Are we gonna go to your house now?"

"We certainly are, my child. Micah, my child! We are going now!"

"Coming!" He quickly hurried away from Toby despite their budding friendship, adjusting his glasses. "Frisk said they- I mean she- would be in the next room or so. Did you see her?"

"I already alerted her to join us," the older monster assured. "But she seemed to be having a very interesting conversation to her imaginary friend, so I left her to it."

Tally looked back to her older brother figure, but he seemed to have no idea what she was talking about either. The youngest member of the group of seven had no idea when Frisk had started having an 'imaginary friend', but she had the strangest feeling it had to do with the voice they could all hear. She just hoped this 'friend' had good intentions, whatever they were, but she felt like she could see them through. She filled with patience.

* * *

Once they'd walked a decent distance from Micah and Tally, the two similar children sat down in front of each other and stared at each other. Chara was more amused than intimidated, unlike their companion; Frisk was obviously a kind, gentle person, so they felt like they could see right through her. Unfortunately for said companion, she couldn't say the say about them, which would explain the calculated expression and rigid shoulders.

_"Relax already. I won't hurt you."_

'I know you won't," Frisk replied a little too quickly. 'I'm just...Curious about you.'

_"What's there to know? I told you my name is Chara. That's all that should matter, right?"_

'No, of course not," she responded slowly, wearily. 'I want to know...who you really are. Where you came from. Why you're here now.'

Now it was Chara's turn to tense up. It was pretty sensitive information to ask someone, especially someone technically dead, but of course she wouldn't care. She was still alive and well; she couldn't have any idea how it felt. How all of it felt without relenting even after all the lonely years.

_"Why do you care? I'm only going to be with you so long. There's no reason to get attached."_

'Why are you only going to be with me for a certain amount time?' Frisk demanded at once, her brown eyes shining with accusation. 'Where will you go?'

Chara sighed silently; she was going to force them to say it.  _"Because eventually, you're going to die, and that's going to be it. I can't stick around without you."_

Her expression softened to that of resigned horror. 'You...Can't?'

Surely she was kidding, right? There was no way..." _"I'm a ghost. Your SOUL is the only thing housing me. Well, the others have a part in it too, but I couldn't physically appear to them, and then it's only so long before we're all dust."_

"You're a ghost?" Frisk yipped aloud, and the dead child couldn't help but drop their face into their hands and make a mangled sound of disbelief.

_"You can't be serious. Of course I'm a ghost! What else would I be?"_

"I..." Their host began with her hands, but she quickly trailed off with a blush. 'Well, I guess I just didn't think.'

 _"I can just tell you're going be a great partner,"_ Chara replied sarcastically, smirking when the other softly swatted at them and her hand phased right through.  _"Relax, kid. I'm not as stupid as those other people were. I won't hurt you, physically or otherwise."_

Now her face twisted into confusion, her hands trembling a little as she signed 'How?'. Was she really afraid of them? They supposed they couldn't blame her.

 _"I'm in your head, Frisky Bits. Of course I can hear what bothers you. Not to mention those nightmares of yours..."_ They trailed off with a low whistle and the younger blushed.

'Sorry...' They signed, their face the picture of shame.

_"Why are you apologizing to me? It's those punks that should be apologizing to you. Tell you what, if we make it out of here, I'll figure out how to beat them up for you."_

'No beating people up!' Frisk signed desperately, but when Chara made a ridiculous face at her, she began to giggle and held her stomach the harder she laughed.

As a matter of fact, her laughter was so contagious, they were both soon howling out in amusement, their backs growing dusty when they fell backwards with the effort. By the time Chara had wiped their eyes and sat back up, they realized with a rare blush of their own that they were no longer alone. Toriel was standing in the doorway with four children crowded behind her, her familiar smile on her face as she slowly backed away and shooed the group into the next room. Poor Frisk; their mother probably thought she'd lost her mind. Then again, she'd always understand their nightmares and episodes of zoning out, so she'd probably write it off as having an imaginary friend.

_"Hey, Mom's gonna come back soon. You should get up."_

Frisk wiped her own eyes and tilted her head at them before they quickly went behind her, their hands carefully creating enough wind speed to brush off the dust. 'Mom?'

_"She acts so much like a mother it's hard not to call her it, no matter who you are."_

The young girl in front of them obviously had more questions, but she kept them to herself for now. Chara didn't necessarily  _want_ to keep things from their new partner, but it was far too painful to bring up what all happened to them. Besides, Toriel would never understand, much less Asgore. And then there was 'Flowey'...

"My child, are you ready to go home?" Toriel's gentle voice inquired from the doorway.

As they made their way through the Underground, the dead child took another proper look at the other children. Beatrice- actually, if Frisk called her Tally, so were they- reminded her a lot of her Azzy. Akin looked a helluva lot more energetic when he wasn't curled up in his sleep, and reversely, Maria was more alert and silent as opposed to her spread sleeping position. Micah was about the same, warily sticking right to Maria's side, and Oswald flanked her other side very rigidly. Adeline was holding Toriel's paw, which obviously made their mother happy, so she'd gained their approval. All of them were a diverse group; Chara was subtly rooting for them.

"Welcome home, my children."

Strangely, the first thing Frisk did was run to the mirror at the end of the hallway. She seemed disappointed when she couldn't see both of their reflections in it, and while it made them roll their eyes, they still smiled and crossed their arms as they looked the reflection of the child who'd definitely change everything they'd once done themselves, for better or worse.

_"It's you!"_


	6. The Prospect of Free Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living with a mother for, in some cases, the first time is exciting and brings a lot of comfort to weary minds and fresh SOULs. But when you can't leave without consequences, how much does free will matter in the end?

We won't all fit on one bed."

"Thank you for that brilliant observation."

"..."

"Sorry."

Micah was surprised to hear such sharp commentary from the stoic, silent Oswald, but he supposed he deserved it for stating the obvious. Toriel had been letting them all explore her home freely as she worked on something in the kitchen, but they'd all ended up crowding into the childlike bedroom. It occurred to him that the room was almost bigger than the average room four boys or girls would be crammed into at the orphanage, but it still felt cramped with all seven of them.

"It's okay," he responded to the boy with a yellow soul. "It was stupid."

"It was not!" Maria responded fiercely, her glare trained on her best friend. "I mean, it was obvious, and maybe it wasn't necessary, but at least it was observant!"

"I said I was sorry," Oswald responded quietly, the brim of his hat shadowing his face completely. "I'm not like Akin. I don't just apologize because I'm merely obligated. I mean it."

"Wait a minute!" Akin growled at once, whirling around defensively. "I'm not just some stupid asshole!"

"Could have fooled me."

Adeline immediately stepped between the two boys with a concerned look on her face, but Toriel poked her head in as if on cue. "Children, I do hope you are not fighting."

"We were," Maria blurted with a look of shame written across her face, and Micah's heart went out to the brutally honest girl.

"Well, I do hope it is easily resolvable. A group of siblings as big as you all should try and get along as much as possible," she mused with a patient smile. "I am sure a big slice of pie would help, would it not?"

Maria was obviously about to tell her they weren't related, but the mention of pie made her re-consider. "...What kind of pie?"

"Butterscotch cinnamon. I wasn't sure what the majority of you would prefer and I didn't want to dissatisfy any of you, so I combined them both," she explained lovingly. "Would you all like some?"

A chorus of eager agreements answered and she laughed, leading the rest of them into the kitchen. He hung back himself, a blush blossoming on his face as he tried to figure out how to tell her. There was no way she could have known he was allergic to cinnamon, but he didn't want to upset her by refusing her food. Surely there had to be a way to make her happy while still not making himself swell up like a balloon with his breathing being constricted. He just had to think, had to remember if anything like this had happened before...He tugged his notebook from his waistline where it'd been secured between his back and pants, flipping through his various notes.

**05-17-XX: Nan got in a weird mood and fixed us all cinnamon rolls. I couldn't just refuse them or she'd get mad, so I pretended to eat until she looked away and I passed it to another kid. I'm about to go grab something else from the kitchen. Wish me luck.**

Of course- it wasn't flawless, but it would probably still work. As he joined the other children at the table, he motioned his hand to catch Tally's attention before placing his piece under the table. She immediately grinned but didn't say anything, carefully finishing up all of her first slice before crawling under and beginning on the second. He was just smiling to himself when Toriel saw her empty seat, frowning as she peered underneath the table.

"My child!" She exclaimed with a small smile of relief. "What are you doing under the table, silly girl?"

"Micah gave me a second piece of pie!" She replied happily. "Do you want it instead, Mom?"

He nearly choked on his milk; not only had his practical younger sister just busted him, she'd called Toriel 'Mom again! He had no idea why she'd become so attached to a goat monster in the span of a day, but she didn't seem embarrassed about it this time. They were both smiling brightly at each other as the mother gently lifted her out, setting her back in her chair and taking the pie with a small wink.

"Micah, why didn't you want your pie?" She inquired, looking disappointed. "Did it not taste good? Do you hate cinnamon or butterscotch?"

"I-it's not that, ma'am!" He sputtered desperately. "I...I'm allergic to cinnamon. I can't eat it or I swell up and can't breathe."

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed with a gasp, a paw going over her mouth as she absently put the pie back on the platter. "My child, why did you not tell me? I could have made you snail pie, or perhaps a sandwich...Oh, you poor dear."

"It's really not that big of a deal," he tried to explain, but she was obviously having none of it, so he deflated in his chair and sighed.

"You could have just told her that from the beginning..." Maria was looking at him with her large brown eyes, filling him further with embarrassment and shame.

"Yeah...I just didn't want to upset her," he mumbled. "I guess I failed in the end regardless. I just can't win today."

_"Frisk says that has been a long day, and that you should all get some rest as soon as possible."_

Frisk's eyes widened at the voice and looked up, signing 'You as well' very pointedly. The Voice didn't seem to reply, at least not to where he could hear, so he just smiled weakly and reached out to touch his best friend's hand. Even if she did have imaginary friend- or at least an invisible one- he had to believe he was still her closest companion. Surely she wouldn't just replace him someone that seemed cooler, or more mysterious, or maybe funnier...

_"Seeing your best friend with someone else makes something inside you ignite. You are filled with perseverance."_

He jumped instantly and looked around to the others, but they seemed enthralled in their own worlds. Frisk was the only one looking to him with concern, but even she didn't seem to understand why he got so shaken. Apparently he was the only one who could hear The Voice just then, and the thought made him feel cold and defensive inside. No matter who they were, he didn't want them snooping around in his head and interjecting things about his life.

"I am sure you children will be ready for a bath and bed soon," Toriel mused from where she wielding a strange fire magic over a new pie. "I have one queen sized bed, and then there is the childrens' room...I suppose I could open up the room under renovations for you all. It was about time to make it something useful."

"Why do you have a child's room?" Akin inquired as he finished sneaking the rest of Micah's former piece of pie into his mouth. "You don't have any kids, do you?"

"Just you all," she responded gently. "And don't think I did not see you eating an extra piece, young man."

His face reddened and he crossed his arms, grumbling, "I'm sorry, I just got hungry..."

"If you want more food, simply ask," she said in a soothing tone that only seemed to make him ashamed. "I do not usually like for children to eat more than one slice of a sweet, but I suppose tonight is a special occasion."

"You still didn't answer his question," Maria pointed out softly. "Why would you already have a room?"

"I have wanted children to take care of for many years," she answered easily, setting the new pie on the table with a small spin on her heels. "I wanted to be prepared if anyone fell down, and my prayers were answered today. I am very excited to share my home and love with you all."

He was sure all of the others smiled with him at that; he wasn't sure he completely believed her story, but she was too loving to not feel happy in her presence. She was a sharp contrast to Nan and even more different than Pops, and while they weren't sure how to react yet, they appreciated it. Something about her invited him to let all of his past worries go and just live with her forever, but something deep inside him compelled him to explore the rest of the Underground. He felt like he hadn't truly seen anything yet what with waiting behind with Tally, so he was eager to observe everything before he tried to make a final decision. He certainly couldn't see himself going back to the orphanage, but he wouldn't rule out the possibility of returning to the Surface and beginning life anew. Any life with Frisk and Tally would be enough for him; he was positive of at least that.

"Now, my children, my bathing facilities are located in the room under renovations, so you'll have to give me a moment to tidy up and move things," she explained as they all dug into the butterscotch pie. "I will not be long. Be good."

With that she was gone, but the look in Akin's eyes suggested he wasn't going to sit still. Frisk looked just as intrigued, and even sweet Adeline paused her eating to look toward the doorway.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinkin'?" Akin finally asked with a small grin.

"Haven't we done enough misbehaving for today?" Maria inquired wearily; had her eyes always had those bags under them? "Let's just let her do her thing. I'm sure the room is probably old and musty, anyway."

"You can't honestly tell me her being all secretive doesn't bother you!" The younger boy complained. "It makes it hard to trust her when she dances around every question."

"What reason does she have for betraying us?" The oldest member of the group demanded.

"We don't know that," Micah finally voiced himself, his gaze fixated on his notebook as all eyes turned toward him. "That's the problem. She could do anything to us and we would be defenseless. You are all aware I do not condone Akin's actions a majority of the time, but he does have a valid point."

"True..." Adeline echoed, and Oswald slowly nodded his approval.

_"Maybe you won't trust your old Narrator, but I can assure Mo- Toriel isn't someone you can't trust. She'd never hurt any of you. She just wants what's best and she knows it's best not everything makes sense right away."_

"Oh, yeah? And why is that?" Akin demanded before anyone else could.

_"Because you might get angry, or scared, or confused. So do us all a favor: Shut up and eat your pie."_

Maria and Oswald snickered at that, but he wasn't so content with that explanation. The Voice could be literally anyone, and by the way they nearly called Toriel 'Mom', they could very well be working to kill or hurt them all. After hearing the other four talk about all of their fights, he had no real evidence depicting the goat mother would not be any different or worse.

"Micah?" Tally called softly, lifting her arms up when he looked her way. Once she was in his arms, she leaned in and cupped her hands over his ear. "I really like her. I know you think I trust everyone too easy, but think about Toby. He was really nice, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then try and trust Toriel. If I'm wrong, I promise you can tell me 'I told you so' as much as you want. Deal?"

"Of course, Tally Mark."

He just hoped for her sake she was right.

* * *

Baths were never a pleasant experience at the orphanage. For the babies and younger toddlers, Nan would usually heat up some water over the stove and then bathe them in it once it wasn't scalding. For the rest of the children, though, they had to use the dirty, freezing basin water or use the frigid garden hose, so Akin didn't get clean unless he could sneak away to the lake or he got threatened by one of his 'parents'.

Here, she had something called 'plumbing' that made water appear at the whatever temperature you wanted it at. She said she had to work many years to figure out how to draw anything out of the Earth or keep it all connected with pipes, but she insisted her life had been better since she did. It was a concept she said she and her ex-husband brought down from the Surface after the war, but when he asked about who he was and where he was now, she simply urged him to get clean at his own speed. He wanted to complain, of course, but the water felt  _amazing_ on his bruised and scratched up body and throbbing muscles. The other kids weren't screaming at him to get out and he didn't have to share, either, so it was practically paradise.

When he was done and had taken the time to properly wash and detangle his long hair, he noticed his dusty, stained clothes were gone with a start. He must have been so busy soaking she stole them!

"HEY!" He yelled in complaint. "WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!"

"Do not worry, my child," she hushed immediately, walking in without regard to his state of not being clothed. "I brought you some new clothes so I can wash the old ones. I hope they fit you alright."

Once she got out and he uncovered himself, he noticed it was a long-sleeved shirt with a singular yellow strip across the middle. The brown pants were a little big, but everything fit him well enough and even kind of went with his glove and bandanna. He didn't really want to sound like a dork and admit it aloud, but they were comfortable, and he liked finally being in something clean and new.

"You guys are copy cats," he decided when he walked into the living room and saw that Oswald and Beatrice, who'd bathed before him, had on the same shirt. (Well, actually Beatrice had on a short-sleeved shirt and dark leggings, but still!)

"She gave it to us before you," Oswald responded tensely. "So it's technically you that copied."

"Nobody copied anybody," the young girl mediated diplomatically. "She just has a lot of the same type of clothes. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I guess you're right," he agreed rapidly, before Oswald's smug self could even think about trying to make him look bad again. "Thanks for that, Beat."

She frowned now, tilting her head to the side. "Beat? But...My name is Beatrice."

"Yeah, it's a nickname. Doesn't Micah call you 'Tally?'"

"Yes..."

"Well, I'm calling you 'Beat' if that's fine with you."

Now she smiled the biggest he'd ever seen from her as she hopped to her feet and hugged onto him. "Of course. I love nicknames; they mean you care about me!"

He blushed despite himself, carefully lifting the five-year-old into a hug to his chest. "Yeah...Yeah, I guess they do."

"I like how you had to hesitate on that," Oswald muttered bitingly, but the sense of fulfillment Akin was feeling trumped his anger.

_"The knowledge that such a young girl depends on you fills you with bravery."_

The Voice was really beginning to grind on his nerves. They were helpful when it came to fights and new areas, but their intrusion his personal life? That was just creepy. It's almost like their Pops, constantly paranoid something was going on without them and jumping into others' business whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"Mind your own business..." He mumbled in response, letting his words be absorbed into Beatrice's dark hair so the others wouldn't hear.

_"I am."_

Snarky bastard.

**...**

The nightmares woke him up at unworldly hour of the morning, and the unease he felt from its aftereffects kept him up. He'd chosen the 'room under renovations' room first, bounding into it the second Toriel said they were free to choose. After all, it was the most mysterious and would likely be the most risque out of all of the rooms, so he had to make a point by going first. Adeline had joined him a while after he'd settled in the massive bed, but he was nearly asleep by that time, so he didn't bother moving and waking himself up to ask where the others were.

Now she was rolled over onto her side, her eyes fluttering every once in a while as she slept. She was the most sound sleeper he'd ever seen; most kids at the orphanage suffered from nightmares or insomnia, or were just restless in general. But she seemed completely at peace now, her breathing controlled and facial expression relaxed. He was envious.

Since he wasn't going to disturb her, he slid out of the bed and eased down the hallway. Micah and Frisk were practically spooning each other in the twin bed; he wondered if he'd done that after she fell asleep. Upon coming a bit closer, he noticed Beat squished between the two of them, a small smile on her face as she dreamed. Looking at her, he longed to have had a childhood peaceful enough to have pleasant dreams.

Maria and Oswald were asleep in the chair made for Toriel, her head on his chest as he drooled. For a moment, he figured they were romantically together, but quickly decided it was more sibling-love than anything. Maybe they'd eventually fall for each other, but what he saw before him was a lot deeper than puppy love.

"My child?"

Crap, what was she doing awake?! He turned around quickly, clenching his fists defensively and forcing himself to meet her gaze. "What are you doing up?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she replied gently. "It is very early in the morning. You really need more rest."

"There's no way I can go back to sleep," he sighed. "Look, I'm not afraid of nightmares or anything, but they'll just keep waking me up until I'm more exhausted than before."

She smiled in her maternal way and advanced, her paw softly resting on his shoulder. "Do not worry. Your brother said the same thing, but I can assist."

"Oswald?" He couldn't help but scowl. "And we're not brothers. None of us are related."

Now it was her turn to frown, but even that didn't seem unkind. "How curious. You are not related biologically, but you all fell together."

"It was...It was kind of an accident," he mumbled, memories flashing back to the little girl pitching forward and him diving to save her, only to plummet himself.

"I believe I understand," she said patiently. "But I was referring to Micah. He has...Oh, what did he call it? Insobia?"

"Insomnia," he corrected. Of course the big cry baby did; he flinched at his own thoughts. Even he knew it was harsh to even mentally degrade someone for something that probably stemmed from trauma.

"You are correct," she praised gently, beginning to walk him back to the bedroom. "Now, let's get you back in bed and I will use some of my magic to help you sleep. Do not worry, it will feel pleasant."

"Your fire-stuff?" He questioned warily, but quickly shook off his inhibitions. "Bring it on, goat mom."

"Not my fire magic," she chuckled. "That would hurt you, silly boy. I am capable of much more magic than cooking abilities, do not worry."

"How did you know I was awake in the first place?" He mumbled as he slowly climbed back into the massive bed, trying not to disturb Adeline at all as he made himself comfortable again. "Were you just waiting or something?"

"I was going to retrieve Oswald and Maria from the living room," she explained, tucking the sheets around them both. "They insisted I sleep in my own bed, but now that they are no longer awake, they will not protest being able to lay down. I noticed you were moving down the hallway before I could go, however, so I followed you. I hope that does not offend you."

So she really did care about all of them that much. It was a strange knowledge, one Akin was a foreigner too, but he didn't not want it. Despite his desire to go and explore the rest of this strange new world, it was relaxing to have someone to be an  _actual_ mother. He simply shook his head and shut his eyes, letting her send a soothing, lavender-smelling spell over him. At once his limbs felt heavier, and his eyelids remained shut as he finally got some real sleep. He was going to try and be alright here.

* * *

Nobody else seemed to be concerned with keeping record of anything, so Adeline took it upon herself. She'd been doing it since her father died, so it was a second nature to make small marks on the calender Toriel kept on a bedside table near the staircase. She hated that it seemed to concern their mother figure that she insisted on going so close to below the home, but she always managed to assure her that she wouldn't try and go down. After all, the one time Akin asked she looked like she was going to cry, so they all agreed to not bring it up again.

_"The thought of finding new purpose elsewhere tugs on you more and more each day. You are filled with kindness."_

"Do you comment to the others, too?" She asked quickly, not bothering to soften her voice to avoid being heard; the others would surely understand. "Just guiding them through their every day lives?"

_"I do. It keeps things lively around here."_

They definitely had a point. The past two weeks at Toriel's had been peaceful ones; nobody had been yelled at or hit a single time. She was always patient, even if someone wasn't in the best mood, and did her best to constantly cater to them. It was wonderful and nearly perfect, but it left the nine year old void of a sense of purpose. She'd spent so long taking on that motherly role to all of the orphanage children, even the ones far older than her, but here she didn't have anything to do. She was filled with the nagging sense that somewhere deeper into the Underground, she could be of use. There had to be more reason for her to fall down.

"What's on your mind?" Akin asked, promptly bringing her back to reality.

"Oh, not much..." She responded absently. "How are you? Is...Is there anything maybe I could do for you?"

"There's obviously something on your mind," he said flatly. "You went to make a mark on the calender, and then you just spaced out and looked really sad. What's up?"

She sighed and managed a tiny smile; there was no escaping his curiosity. "I love it here, don't get me wrong...It's better than anything we'd ever have back on the surface. But I just...I just feel so useless, you know? Like I can't do anything to make myself productive. It's really bothering me."

To her surprise, he nodded quickly, like he'd been thinking the same thing just as long. "It's boring. I came down here for adventure and got HOME instead."

"And home is wonderful," she added immediately. "But I can't just settle down like I didn't want to make something out of my time down here. If we're going to live here now, I want to find a way to help people. I don't want to just be a child like she says."

He gave her a wild grin. "I knew you had some kind of rebellion in ya, Della."

She blushed and let her curly auburn hair fall over her face; she'd never had a nickname before she met him, but she loved it. As she set the old quill-pen back its holder, she cast a longing look down the stairs. The last thing she wanted was to make Toriel cry again, but she was filled with the need to know what more there was.

"Keep watch for me," she told her friend gently, quickly making her way down.

At the end of the long stone hallway, she found a massive door blocking the way. It looked very securely bolted, aiming to keep the world outside away, but when she tried the knob, it let out a long, loud creak as it squeaked open. The air that hit her face was frigid, and from the small crevice, all she could see was more darkness. The rest of the Underground was far different the RUINS after all, and this only made her want it more.

But what about the others? She couldn't just abandon them, not after the time they'd spent together. Perhaps someone as bold as Akin or as determined as Frisk could, but she didn't want to face anything alone now. She had to believe she had friends in all six of them, even in their strange Narrator, so she couldn't go without them. With her chest feeling more weighted and her heart pounding in anxiety, she slowly shut the door once more and turned to find she was not alone after all.

"Frisk!" She yipped. "You followed me?"

_"Frisk says she saw you from where she was studying one of Toriel's books and decided to follow. She also says it wasn't easy getting passed Akin, but I convinced him for her sake."_

"What did you do to him...?" She inquired warily. She wanted to trust the Narrator as fully as the child in front of her did, but they unnerved her too much to convince her.

_"He's safe. I just told him to move or I'd start bothering him constantly. Frisk wants to know if you're leaving."_

"I...I'm not yet," she justified in a stutter. "I can't leave without everybody. I know everyone is so happy here, especially you and Tally, but I feel like there's something bigger to our falling down here. I want to find out what it is so I can help whoever I need to. Not everybody was well off up there, so d-down here I can only imagine it's worse...I feel like it's my responsibility now."

_"The other monsters aren't going to want a human's help. They'll want to kill you."_

Even Frisk looked alarmed, gazing at the air above her and signing something they looked like 'Why?' or 'Are you sure?' The Narrator was silent, proving that they were, so Adeline grimaced and looked back at the door.

"I appreciate your concern for us," she finally said. "But I feel like I have to try. If that means going without everyone, or even alone...I'll accept whatever fate comes to me."

_"We have to have a group meeting on this, Frisk says. I agree. You can't just assume what everyone else will want to do, after all. You were right in thinking that you guys are essentially a team now."_

"And what about Toriel?" She asked with a frown; she had no idea how the kind monster would react. What if she turned on them in her anger, like Nan?

Frisk seemed to sign the same question, and for a long moment, The Narrator didn't reply. This made the anxiety rise up on out her chest and send what felt like electricity through her body; she didn't want anybody to go through the abuse again. If staying meant avoiding conflict, then she supposed she could compromise herself for their sake...

_"I have no idea. But she won't hurt you. Just try and trust me on that."_

**...**

"I'll go wherever Frisk goes." Micah's response didn't surprise her given how he felt about his best friend, but it did make her proud that Akin didn't make a snarky comment despite how cheesy it was.

"Is that really the wisest choice?" Oswald asked after a few moments of silence. "We are not in danger here. We have not been in battle since we arrived here. She provides for us in every way. It would be crazy to leave."

She and Maria nodded at that, a soft sigh escaping her lips. As they all crowded in the child's room once again, she had the horrible feeling she wouldn't be able to muster the ability to tell them her reasons. The more she thought about them, the sillier they sounded. Oswald had better points, so she was willing to let him win without further resistance.

Akin evidently had other intentions. "Except we're being kept from living our lives. She doesn't want us to leave because she's scared of  _something_ , but she won't tell us what. Isn't that shady to anyone else?!"

"It is," Maria admitted. "But it's still better than fighting for our lives constantly. Then again...We only had occasional encounters when we were exploring.."

"But what if we meet someone really powerful, like Toriel herself?" Micah piped up. "I'm not sure we could survive that. Everything we do affects the rest of us, and I don't think I could handle it if any of you..."

"Died?" Oswald said flatly.

"Well, yeah!" The heavier boy narrowed his eyes now. "You've been really pissy since we fell down here, Oswald. It's pretty obvious you're not happy, so why are you defending it?"

The younger boy almost looked like he was going to clam up before he narrowed his eyes back. "I am just pointing out the facts. The Underground is too far beneath the Surface for me and it bothers me that my free will has all but been yanked away, but I'd rather be miserable and alive than happy and dead."

"Would you really?" Maria pointed out quietly, and he finally did close up.

"Maybe we could come back," Adeline finally voiced, carefully getting to her feet from the bed. "Nothing says we can't flee back to her if all else fails.  **FLEE** has been an option, so if we keep that plan in mind, would everyone be willing to try?"

There was another uncomfortable silence for a long while, but eventually Frisk got to her feet as well and signed a very determined 'Yes.' Akin nodded right after, and slowly but surely, so did Maria and Micah. Oswald was clearly not pleased by the prospect of moving, but he did eventually mumble a "Fine" when Maria touched his knee reassuringly.

"E-excellent," she said, her relief dripping into her tone as she teared up. "H-how do we tell her?"

"I will." Little Beatrice was in the doorway now, her expression resolved as she gripped the doorknob. "Because I'm not going."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seven children fell, but it appears only six will leave. This is a decision that will definitely impact the others, even those who don't know her as well. I would also like to note that two weeks is a pretty short amount of time to stay with someone who wants to be a mother to seven, but when writing this, I wanted to keep in mind that children are impatient and restless, even when they're home. I just wanted to make note of that before continuing! :)


	7. In which six children want to be good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The desires of Toriel and her new children are more alike than any of them would like to admit. These decisions are still not easy, and when unanimity is not required to proceed, the first major conflict is one nearly even to permanently break them all apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I began this story, I wanted this chapter to be really special because the title means "seven of something". I'm now thinking every chapter that's a multiple of seven (including this one) should be really special, so please, look out for them! Other major things will take place on other chapters so the story isn't dragging, but I hope this will excite you all for those chapters in particular. I hope you enjoy it!

Who could blame the five year old for wanting a home? Oswald didn't.

Maybe the others did. If anyone, it would likely hail from Micah or Frisk, the two people who loved her the most. Frisk wasn't particularly judgmental, at least not outwardly, but Micah definitely was. He didn't mean to be, of course; it all had to do with the attitude he'd adopted from wherever he'd come from before the orphanage. But now the expression he was giving his small friend was harsh, his jaw set so hard he chillingly resembled Pop. It was scaring Beatrice, so he got up and quickly stood between them.

"You're not allowed to give her any shit for it," he stated flatly. "It's her choice."

"You're certainly one to talk!" The older snapped right back, his gaze still trained on Beatrice from over his shoulder. "You didn't want to leave because it's crazy. It's crazier for any of us to get separated from each other."

"Why is that?" Maria inquired from her spot on the bed, carefully.

"It's suicide! We're stronger in numbers!" He was more upset than he'd thought he could be if he was yelling at his crush, and a lot stupider if he was going to snap at  _his_ Marie.

"Beatrice is five years old!" He practically growled, snagging the larger boy's shirt front and yanking him to look him in the eye. "She isn't any use to us strength wise! You and I both know that if any of us were to die out there, it would be her! She couldn't last in a fight on her own. What if she got separated from us?"

"She wouldn't. I'd keep an eye on her-"

"Because you did  _such_ a good job of doing that when she fell down here."

This made him shut his lips together tightly, his eyes widening as he seemed to realize the weight of what was being said. Oswald knew very well that all of his points were correct, and it was hard for anyone to refute the facts when they were upset, but he didn't truly have much more idea as to why Beatrice had made such an executive decision for herself. The one time he remembered seeing her before the fall, she was extremely quiet, bearing the other brats' teasing with a soft smile. Where had such a strong, determined attitude emerged from?

"Ozzy has some very good points," Adeline ventured after a few long moments, silently making her way toward the child in question. "But I think we need to consider her perspective first. Beatrice?"

"Toriel is a good mom," the youth said, any fear she'd exhibited before Micah vanishing when she squared her tiny shoulders. "A better mom than Christen or Nan. I want to stay with her."

"She  _is_  a good mom," the nine year old agreed. "But like I said before, we could always return to her. If we get separated, how do we know we'll see each other again?"

Beatrice didn't hesitate; it was clear this thought had entered her head around two weeks ago when they arrived. "We can meet here. She can be our mom forever if we let her. I'm letting her."

"But what about Frisk and I?" Micah suddenly yelped out again, tears pooling behind his glasses. "We love you, Tally. We've been taking care of you since you came. If...If we lost you, it'd like losing  _our_ ch-child."

This seemed to take the little one aback, but it didn't surprise him; children as young as she often didn't realize how much they were loved. "I'm like your child? Frisk?"

_"Frisk says, 'It's true, Tally Mark. Nan and Pops can't even raise vegetables right. We decided when you came it was going to be our job.'"_

Her realizing that information was obviously rocking her judgement. He could sympathize; if there was anyone older than him who cared about him like those two did her, he wouldn't want to betray that. He wouldn't ever have that, though, so he couldn't envision how much her worldview was being warped. Even he would have assumed they were like older siblings rather than something as heavy as parents.

_"'But,' she says, 'it is still up to you. It's pretty clear to me that Toriel has been a mother before. She wants to do it again. She will take good care of you, better than Micah or I could offer. So if you stay, I will understand. He will eventually do so as well.'_

_"She's right, you know. Toriel is an excellent mother. Just trust me on this one, all of you."_

"Come to think of it, Narrator..." Adeline mused, her eyes trained above Frisk's head. "You never did vote. You know more than all of us, so...Should we leave? Or stay with her?"

_"I'll accept that title because that's what I am- the Narrator. So I'm not deciding anything for you."_

Frisk looked as annoyed by that as all of them, but the Voice- Narrator, whatever- was pretty clearly not going to change their mind. Beatrice put her hand on the door knob again now, twisting it open and stepping backwards into the hallway.

"I'm not going. I'm sorry, Micah." With that she turned on her heels, dashing down the hallway with sobs echoing against the walls.

"Good job, asshole," Akin grumbled. "You made a baby cry just because you couldn't let her go."

"You can't blame him," Maria justified at once, not as harshly as the other ten-year old. "If he's really like her daughter...Well, I wouldn't want mine leaving me. Family is family."

"You can't tell me she doesn't mean something to you all!" Micah exploded again, so suddenly that even Oswald flinched. "I will not be told what I'm feeling is wrong, especially from any of you! Akin, you're the one who went after her first! I've seen ALL of you hold her hand and explain shit to her! And you're just going to let her go, just like that?!"

_"Micah, you're making Frisk very upset."_

"I'M very upset!" He shouted, the tears overflowing behind his glasses. "She can't stay if we go! It isn't up to her! She's too young!"

"It is up to her," he finally said, his voice cool as he stared at him. "That doesn't change just because you want it to. I'd like to point out that literally nobody said or implied you couldn't stay yourself."

The older boy set his jaw again, his trembling fingers being shoved into his pockets as he tried not to cry further. "Frisk won't stay. I know her too well- she wants to go to the rest of the Underground. And e-even though...Even though I know Frisk c-can handle herself, I...At least with Tally being here, I know she's in good hands. I can't say the same about Frisk."

_"Gee, thanks buddy."_

"Nothing personal," he mumbled dejectedly in response to the Narrator.

"Then you have to understand that you have to let her stay," Adeline said now, her eyes sad and full of compassion. "You've just admitted why yourself. And besides, maybe you could visit. If the rest of the Underground isn't all it's cracked up to be, we can come back. All of us."

"But nothing is going to change, for better or worse, if you don't make a move," Oswald agreed with a small sigh. "She has. We have. But we're not going to wait up, at least not most of us. So if you're going, there is nothing to wait for."

He spun on his heel and walked out, head down against the five sets of eyes staring after him. He'd never been one to wait on others- too much pain came from hesitance- but he was at least hoping that Maria would see his logic and follow. By the time he'd gotten about halfway through the corridor beneath the home, she'd done just that.

_"The realization that you won't ever be alone as long as Maria's around fills a void inside of you. You are filled with a sense of justice."_

Mentally, he replied with, 'Thanks, I couldn't have recognized that without you.'

_"Frisk is crying because of your ass. Better comfort your Marie or she'll do the same."_

Their comment surprised him a bit; who would expect such an all-knowing voice to be so blunt? But he realized they were right yet again; Maria's brown eyes were pooled with tears, her hand trembling as she grabbed his own. It wasn't often she initiated physical contact- it scared her too much- so she had to be truly rattled by all of this. He squeezed back now, his hazel eyes meeting her teary ones.

"I'm sorry." What for? He didn't know, so maybe it wasn't the appropriate response, but he just wanted her to stop crying.

"I'm not the one you should apologize to, if anybody," she began, then closed her eyes to allow the tears to drip down. "Micah is devastated. I know he needed to hear it, but Adeline was getting through to him just fine before."

"Kindness only gets you so far. You of all people know bluntness is a good way to go half the time."

She was silent, proving he was right. But her submission to the truth didn't please him like anyone else's would. In fact, it made him feel worse, worse enough to stop walking and grab her into a hug. He did mean to be more gentle with it, but she didn't flinch or pull away, so he figured it was good enough.

"I just can't stand it, you know?" She whispered shakily into his shoulder. "I didn't really care about anyone except for you before we fell down here. It's pretty clear to me you still feel way, but I can't...Not anymore. When what happened with my family happened, I didn't think I'd belong anywhere. Then I found home in you, and living with Toriel has been almost too good to be true. Somehow...She's made me care about the others. I couldn't make them cry with my attitude, or yell if they made me upset, or just close myself off without concerning them. It's hurting me to see them hurt, especially now. I wish you could understand that."

He did too. He was self-sufficient, even before his life nose-dived, but even the unconditional love of a goat mother and companionship in a ragtag group of children couldn't change his mind. It would take much more than that. Something like proof that abandonment wasn't an option, and that loyalty persisted despite their being more logical options. Something- someone- like his Marie. She was the only person he was certain he'd give up anything for. That was what made it so hard to leave when she could very well not have followed.

"I do in relation to you," he stated. "Not to them. I...suppose the ability for them to change my mind still exists. But it's not here."

She was silent for a few long moments, and he briefly feared she was going to insist they turn back. Instead, she inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply, her eyes clear when she met his.

"Then we better get going."

* * *

Frisk learned that life was not fair when she was three years old. The monthly adoption day had come and gone then, and no matter how hard she tried to look cute and be just as endearing as the other toddlers, nobody would choose her as their own. She even heard one man say she'd be fine if she 'said anything like a normal person.' Even then, she'd known it was just because Nan outed that she wasn't  _incapable_ of speech according to the doctors, she was just too strange to do so.

She wanted to try and give life the benefit of the doubt when Beatrice came to the orphanage. It was hard to given her tiny friend's circumstances for coming, but she realized that same day it was possibly good karma finally returning for her. This four-year-old had no real parents, nobody to take care of her, and Nan and Pop were useless. If she tried to take on a motherly role, however, it might fill the void of never having someone to parent her.

She never expected Micah to assist, however. But the day Beatrice fell off of her bike while trying to learn how to ride, he was the one who calmed her down first. He was the one to tend to her injuries and to stand up for her when she wouldn't do it herself, and it was at those they both realized how brave he could be. Nobody would guess how complacent and nerdy he appeared when he was protecting her.

'I'm sorry, Micah,' she signed now, the rest of her body pressed to the side of him. 'I understand.'

"I know you do, Frisk." He'd finished crying now, and his tone was now much weaker, as thin as his patience. "But nobody else does. Oswald thinks I'm ridiculous."

'So what?' She demanded at once, eyes narrowing in disbelief as she stared at him. 'Oswald isn't important. She is. You are.'

" _Maybe he isn't important in context to the problem as a whole, but he definitely right now. He mattered enough to Micah to make upset. He mattered enough for Maria to leave."_

'He shouldn't matter,' the ten-year-old signed, frustration bubbling underneath her skin and filling her eyes with tears. It was extremely rare for her to get so worked up, but it felt like everything was finally falling apart far too quickly.

_"But he does. And you need to calm down if you want him to."_

She inhaled sharply and coughed immediately; the Ruins seemed to get dustier every day. Chara was right (as they often were), but that didn't mean it didn't agitate her. Their narrator was mysterious and hardly emoted aside from their occasionally snarky attitude or level description of the world, but she wouldn't buy into that being their real disposition. They were like her in the fact they bottled their reactions inside, slowly releasing it in short bursts or nonverbal actions that made it possible to be neutral. She of all people shouldn't be corrected for finally outwardly snapping.

'Whatever.'

_"Come on, Frisk. You don't have much more time. Toriel is going to coming from you all any minute now, just as soon as Tally gets her.'_

"I just can't imagine a fulfilling life without her," Micah voiced suddenly, his eyes glassy as he stared straight ahead. "You and her were the only things I wanted to care about anymore. I guess I just thought the feelings were mutual."

'They are," she signed, trying to convey the deep empathy she was feeling into her facial expressions. 'But we have to do what's best for us, too. She's made a smart choice, even if it's not easy for any of us.'

"Do you think she'll ever miss us?"

_"Hearing your Narrator voice that she will miss you constantly fulfills you in a bittersweet fashion. You are filled with determination."_

**FILE 6.5 SAVED**

"I just want to know she's going to be safe from an objective standpoint, too," he sighed, but the tension having left his face proved Chara was right.

She was sure he didn't hear the annoyed sigh their Narrator emitted in the back of her mind, so she had to press her lips to not giggle.  _"You all were for this long and it had nothing to do with anybody but her and I. Don't worry, I'm not going to leave her mind just because I'm not with her physically."_

'How is that possible?' She asked at the same time as her best friend, and Chara merely chuckled.

_"I don't attest to be an all-powerful being, but not having a physical form changes a lot about what you can perceive and you perceive."_

"My children?" The cry Toriel emitted from the front of the house seemed to reverberate in the preteen's chest, sending the familiar ache of longing through her body. They were more alike than she would have originally admitted.

"We're here!" Akin called out, and from the mother's bedroom Frisk watched as he stepped outside of the children's room with a grim expression. "But...Not for long, okay? I'm sure Beat already told you, but-"

"The Underground is too dangerous!" The maternal monster interjected fiercely, more aggressively than any of them believed she could be. "I cannot allow any of you to go. Beatrice has explained to me your predicaments, but I assure you it is far safer to stay here."

"We know that," the ten-year-old boy responded, his voice surprisingly calm despite the wild fire in his eyes. "But we don't care if we're safe. We just want to find purpose."

"You can try and understand that...Can't you, Miss Toriel?" Adeline's eyes were full of sadness, her hands folded in front of her. "Most of us have had good lives up until now. Now we want to try and make something of them. We...we're sorry."

As she processed the nine-year-old's words, Toriel just looked tired. The grief weighing down her frame now was unmistakable, but so was the compassion.

_"She can't see anybody sad, especially children. I don't think you guys realize that she'd do literally anything for you."_

Frisk merely replied with a somber nod, grabbing Micah's hand in her own and guiding him out. Now that she was directly in front of the surrogate mother, she could see their little Tally clutching to her skirts, tears streaming down her red face.

"I-I'm sorry," she whimpered, and at that moment she sounded so much like the terrified four-year-old that they first met that it inspired tears from both of the older children.

"No,  _I'm_ sorry," Micah responded shakily, walking to her and getting on his knees. "I was being selfish."

'N-no, I-I-"

"No no, Tally," he soothed at once, and at the sound of his familiarly comforting tone she silenced into hiccups. "This is not a 'you' problem. It's a 'me' one. None of us blame you for wanting to stay, even if we're not doing the same. Remember how I told you I'd always have your back, no matter where either of us go?"

She nodded meekly, her eyes shining with something more loving, something calmer.

"Well, that doesn't change now. Not ever." He embraced her passionately now, lifting her off of the ground to press closer. "I love you enough to let you go, Tally Mark."

Frisk moved immediately to join her, her arms locking around both of them so tightly she wasn't convinced she'd ever let go. It was the end of something special, but something about it didn't feel as final as when they'd all fallen from their life above. She couldn't bear to think of it being something as cliche as a 'new beginning', and she couldn't positive what was happening was a  _good_ thing, but it was something they were going to have to be ready for.

* * *

Mom didn't cry like she did, but she was extremely sad. She walked slowly down the stairs, her paw holding her small hand so fiercely it was throbbing. Beatrice didn't say anything though; they were going to need each other. So many things had happened in her short five years, too much pain for anybody to bear alone, and she got the feeling Mom understood that. It didn't make it okay, but maybe it could make it okay enough.

"Maria, Oswald." Mom mostly just seemed relieved they hadn't left completely yet, but by the look on their eyes, she knew they'd left and come back for some reason. "Please, come here my children. I need to speak with you if...if you are going to leave."

They stood around her in a half circle now, all six of them, but she clung to the paw held down for her regardless. Everyone was moving on without her despite it being her decision, so she felt the need to hang on to what she had.

"The Underground...The monsters down there will likely not be as kind as I have been to you," she explained slowly. "They may...want to harm or...kill you. You are so very young, and it is incredibly hard to decide what to in a situation like this. But if you have obtained...nothing else from your time with me, I implore you: Show mercy. Be kind even when the odds are against you and everything seems dire and bleak. You are all strong, stronger than I could have imagined. You have the strength to survive and spare everyone."

"We can do that!" Akin declared boldly, pumping his fist into the air. "Don't even sweat it, Goat Mom!"

She smiled wearily, and for a moment the youngest child had the feeling she was going to resist their going. After all, she had intensely powerful fire magic that she exhibited control over, and she'd said she controlled the Ruins. If she was bent on not letting them leave, she probably wouldn't have a problem blocking the way. So why wasn't she?

"Akin," she said softly, kneeling down to his level and hugging him close. "You are very bold. I know you are not the most...patient creature. But you have morals, and people you are willing to protect. Do you not?"

He hesitated, something the child had never expected him to do, but then he nodded once. "Yeah, sure I do."

His eyes lingered on Adeline, and both she and her mother smiled softly. "You said none of you were siblings. But you must protect them as if you were. Guard them. Be brave for them. They need you. I would say do your best, but you always do, do you not?"

"Duh!" He grinned, but when he hugged her, his expression softened. "I'll miss you. You...You're a good mother. Take good care of Beat."

"I shall, my child." She turned to Maria now, gently extending her paws for the oldest girl to take if she chose too. "Maria. Your honesty is something we all, myself included, should inspire to obtain. For reasons I cannot fully explain now, I feel unable to do so. But I am so proud of you. As long as you are around, your group was adhere to a strict moral code. You are a brave young woman, Maria. Lead them."

The thirteen-year-old's eyes glazed with tears, slowly placing her hands in the paws before her. "I will do my best. I can't promise I won't mess up, but I can try to be the best leader I can, okay?"

"That is all I can ask," the mother agreed softly. "Micah. Despite knowing you for only a short amount of time, I have seen an incredibly resilient spirit in you. You never give up on what you believe, for better or worse, and that will serve you well when making tough decision. Please, be diplomatic. Be reasonable, but do not budge if you truly believe in something."

His eyes rested on Tally now, but when she warily offered a smile, he returned it with a wink. "You can count on me. Both of you."

She decided to spend the next two speeches in his arms because of that, her eyes focused over his shoulder as she held on tightly. Toriel didn't hesitate in hugging Adeline, pressing her forehead to the other's and sighing softly.

"You are kind, even kinder than myself," she explained wistfully. "Out of all of the children, you are the most compassionate. Despite the hardships you have and will face, you never cease to be pure and gentle. Do not lose it, for you will all need it."

"I won't." The older girl was crying, but she held the gaze of her mother until they broke away mutually. "I promise you."

"Oswald." She knelt before him, and surprisingly, he couldn't meet her eyes. "Much like Akin, you are very brave, and much like Micah, you persevere despite the odds. But you are much more stoic and thoughtful. You think things through and stick to a strict regime. Do not change that for anyone but yourself, alright? If anyone can make things right, it will be you, will it not?"

He set his jaw but continued to not look directly at her. "Of course. Thank you for everything, Goat Mom. It...It has been a pleasure none of us could have imagined before this two weeks, ma'am."

"Oh, my children. The feeling is very mutual." It was clear to the young child she was holding back her grief, but she still had Frisk to speak, and she did with a hug. "Frisk. Your strength comes from within and shows in the most unexpected ways, but don't let this world convince you of what you've already decided for yourself. Stay...determined, my child."

Frisk, of course, didn't say anything. She merely hugged Toriel close and pressed her mouth into a line, her gaze flitting from her to her 'imaginary friend'. Beatrice had yet to grasp  _why_ she signed to a person that was not supposed to be there, but she hoped it would still keep her company without her being around. She'd always known she needed Frisk and Micah, but now she'd learned they needed her just as bad. Like her new mother, she hoped they would remain good, and come back to them soon.

"I am going to open this door now," Mom announced somberly. "Once you are out, I will close it. Perhaps you have figured this out by now, but I have been plagued with many losses in my years. If you are injured or not all united, then...Please do not come back. I hope you understand."

"No!" She yelped at once, her arms securing around her older brother's neck. "Mom and I will wait for you. I don't care how long it takes, but you all have to come back if you're all going to leave. Okay?"

Mom looked even more sad as she spoke, but she eventually nodded and sighed with a small child. "I suppose it is decided. In the end, I do not believe I could stop you if I tried, correct?"

"We'll come back to you, Toriel. Don't even worry about it!" Akin announced. "But I think Oswald and Maria are gonna explode or something if we don't get out of here, so we should go. See ya, Goat Mom. And Beat?"

She looked up with wide eyes. "Yeah, Kinny?"

He grinned at once. "Take good care of her."

She tried her best to wink, but since both of her eyes closed, she merely held one open. "Promise!"

Everyone hugged Mom before they left, some a little longer than others. Frisk and Micah were the last to let go of either of them, so before he went, she pulled her faded ribbon from her bun and gently wrapped it around his wrist.

"You can't forget me now, okay?" She explained seriously, but she smiled so he would, too. "That's so you remember to come back when you're ready."

"...See you soon, Tally Mark. Thank you." He pulled her close, placed a kiss on the top of her head, and walked through the door very quickly. She wondered if he'd turn back if he went slower than that.

'Stay patient for us. Not all of us are fast walkers,' Frisk signed with a weak smile, earning a giggle from her.

"Mom was right, you know..." She held an eye open for her as well. "You should stay determined. Micah's gonna need you and so is your friend."

_"Thanks for the mention, Tally Mark. But please, call me Chara."_

Chara. So they were the strange voice that she occasionally heard. She decided she preferred it that way, though; maybe they'd keep talking to her even when the others were gone.

"Please, my children..." Her mother voiced as they stood together at the door, watching them make their way into a cold darkness. "Be good."

Once the exit was shut, Toriel finally succumbed to her tears. Beatrice desperately wanted to comfort her now, to tell her everything was going to be alright in the end, but now that they were the truly gone she couldn't be certain herself. She'd never know of the dangers or of the adventures of the Underground, so she had no idea what the expect. They were strong- she'd seen it in all of them- but what if their fate out there was worse than it would be on the Surface?

So instead of speaking, she merely allowed herself to be picked up and held as they both cried for their losses. The five year old wasn't sure if the same was true of her mother, but she also wept for what she'd gained. If nothing else good came from their falling and their losses, she was finally able to say she was home.

* * *

Maria hated flowers.

She wanted it to just be the creepy flower that she'd made enemies with, of course. But after the encounter she and Oswald had to handle before, she was pretty convinced she was going to hate all of the cheeky things. They weren't so great, anyway- they were just decorations or reasons to attract insects. She hoped there wouldn't be any more like 'Flowey' as they made their way through the corridor again.

His words echoed in her mind despite her trying to block it out.  **"You'll never be able to stick to those same little morals you had above, Ballerina. In this world, it's kill or be killed. And your little 'friends' might be afraid of doing it, but you aren't. Are you?"**

Oswald had pulled out his gun, warning him to shut up, but he just taunted him. " **Neither are you, PARTNER. You both want to act like you belong with a group of pacifists, but you don't. Hehe, let's face it! You're just like me, aren't cha?"**

"We're nothing like you," her best friend had responded fiercely, but neither of his witnesses could mistake the apprehension in his expression.

**"Aww, don't you feel bad! I'm the prince to the New World, kiddos. I won't mistreat my only successions to the throne! Well, gotta go!"**

With that he was gone, and Oswald had pulled her back inside before she can consider yelling after him. Now that they were making there were to the true exit of the Ruins, she made sure to dig her arch harshly into the spot Flowey had popped up before. The others seemed to distracted by crying or lost in their thoughts to notice or care, even Ozzy, but she was sending a message.

"Are we ready to go through there?" For now, Micah's voice was strong, set in resolve. For his sake, she hopped it would stay that way.

"I was born ready!" Of course Akin was. Nevertheless, he grabbed Adeline's hand, and Maria had to chuckle to herself; he was eventually going to realize his front was useless to most of them. "Come on, Della!"

"We could all hold hands," the younger girl suggested, extending her hand toward Frisk. "So we don't lose each other, no matter what happens?"

To all of their surprise, Ozzy readily grabbed her smaller hand, his other immediately gripping her own. Frisk held onto her from there, and Micah took her hand with a small, sad smile. The uniformity of it all painfully reminded her of when they'd first come, of Toriel's guiding hand. It was what inspired her to gently let go of the hands she held and make her way to the front, gently grabbing onto Akin's hand and smiling when he looked to her with confusion.

"I will lead you and I will make sure you're safe," she explained firmly. "For Toriel."

_"Hearing the others echo your determined notion fills you with integrity."_

**LAST RUINS FILE SAVED.**


	8. And Yet, They Wander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowdin is vastly different landscape compared to the RUINS the six just left behind with one in patient waiting for their return. One skeleton is ecstatic, even more than he ever imagined he could be, and the other is baffled and entertained. Micah wonders if there is a place for him to belong, even Underground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers/reviewers/friends! Nobody has pointed this out yet, but as a student having been enrolled in an ASL (American Sign Language) class, I'd like to reassure everyone I know that signing does not translate into the same English hearing people speak with. (There are a lot of added words in spoken word that are omitted when signing.) However, for the sake of clarity and keeping grammar as accurate as I know it (I'm still learning!), I have decided to write Frisk's signs interpreted in the style of spoken word.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this message, and don't forget to review!

The advantage of living near mountains was that one became adjusted to cooler temperatures. That didn't mean Akin wasn't shivering as he followed Maria into the snowy forest, but he figured it could be worse. Adeline's hand was trembling quite a lot, however, and when he cast a glance back, he saw that her cheeks were bright red and her lips were extremely chapped with the cold.

"Maria," he prompted as quietly as he could. "I think Della could use one of those layers."

The oldest girl looked alarmed for a moment before glancing down; she'd held onto the clothes she'd fallen down with, securing them into a bag she'd bought from the spiders at the bake sale. (They were skilled seamstresses as well as weavers as it turned out.) She nodded now and pulled it over her free shoulder, allowing him to snap open the front and pull out the first fuzzy sweater he could find.

"Here you go," he offered, releasing Maria's hand and tossing it back to the younger.

Her dark eyes shone with surprise mixed with gratitude, and the next thing he knew everyone was pausing to layer up from Oswald and Maria's bags. He accepted a pair of mittens but stuffed the left one into his pocket; he wasn't going to hide his tough glove for the sake of warmth. Maria gave him a strange look, something between amusement and disbelief, but he simply rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand again as they set off once more.

"How long is this path?" He heard Micah sigh from the back of the line. "This has to go somewhere, doesn't it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Tubby," he commented sharply, but he didn't need Adeline's scolding, hurt expression to feel a tinge of guilt.

Something beneath his foot snapped and there was a loud clang somewhere ahead of them, sudden enough for the nine year old behind him to yelp and grab onto his shoulder with both hands. He subconsciously blushed at once; she really liked him that much? In response, he wrapped his now freed hand around her waist and pulled her closer to his side, his glare trained ahead to find nothing.

"Wh-what was that?" She whimpered, and he held her a little tighter.

"Dunno," he announced for her and the others. "But I'll be damned if a little noise stops me. Onward!"

"K-Kin?" The younger girl voiced warily, tears threatening her eyes as she peeked up. "Can we move to the back? If something comes after us..."

"Sure, Del. I'll protect you." He winked and she cracked a small smile, which made his chest fill with a strange sensation of happiness.

_"Seeing how much Adeline depends on you fills you with bravery."_

The Narrator was damn good at what they did, he decided.

It was fairly clear she didn't want to at this point, but Maria continued to be one step ahead of the rest as they approached a large wooden gate. The bars were very wide, and he was about to waltz right through them when the faraway sound of crunching snow made all of them freeze.

"Guys?" He questioned, his tone stiff to hide his apprehension. "Stop messing around."

"We're not," Oswald stated flatly, but the way the brim of his hat covered his face told he wasn't as bold as he wanted to come off.

All six of them held still after that, not moving or speaking. The footsteps drew nearer until he was nearly positive he could feel breath on the back on his neck. He wanted to convince himself it was just paranoia, but the voice that spoke inevitably sent a cold spike of nerves down his spine.

"Humans. Don't you know how to greet a new pal?" It inquired, low, crisp, and masculine . "Turn around and shake my hand."

Poor Della looked about ready to explode with the amount she was trembling, so he carefully released her and spun on his heel, grabbing the bony figure held out for him. Immediately a loud gust of air pushed against his hand, so quickly it sounded ominously like a fart, and immediately a small giggle escaped from his companion. The skeleton before him was grinning himself, his eyes- eye sockets?- seemed to portray him being completely as ease, so he yanked his hand back and tried not to blush.

"heheheh. the ole whoopee cushion in the hand trick," he commented, his voice much more lethargic and deep now. "it's ALWAYS funny."

"Sure," he grumbled, allowing his embarrassment to get the better of him. Just who did this comedian think he was?!

"anyways, you're all humans, huh?" He continued, looking over at the cluster behind him. "that's hilarious. i'm sans. sans the skeleton. i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but...y'know...i don't really care about capturing anybody."

"Why not?' Maria inquired incredulously, and Sans's grin seemed to widen if it was possible.

"too much work, kid," he responded with a shrug. "now my brother, Papyrus...he's a human-hunting FANATIC."

"H-human hunting fanatic?" Adeline repeated, inspiring him to hold onto her once more. "You guys are  _hunting_ us?"

"Looks like Toriel was right..." Micah mumbled from behind.

"don't sweat it, kiddo. i'm just  _ribbin'_ ya."

"Was..." Maria began, her face twisting into displeasure. "Was that a pun?"

"heheheheh, yup. anyway, don't worry about him. he won't hurt ya. but i do think that's him over there, but i got a idea. go through this gate thingy."

He must have read the expressions they all gave, because he continued with, "yeah, just go on through. my bro made the bars too wide to actually stop anyone."

Akin didn't hesitate this time; he marched right through, his grip on his friend steady as he looked around. If there was some human-hunter around them, he was going to show his new friend that he could protect her. Nothing scared him!

"quick, behind that conveniently shaped lamp!" He heard Sans call, and with a turn he found there  _was_ a conveniently shaped lamp, so convenient that it was exactly Frisk's size and shape.

Frisk and Micah naturally didn't hesitate, standing or ducking behind the appliance. Maria and Oswald exchanged a glance, and despite Oswald making a pressed face of displeasure, they followed suite. Akin could hear rapid footsteps approaching from the other side of the forest, so he quickly escorted Adeline there and essentially fell on top of her the second he saw the next skeleton.

"sup, bro?" Sans asked casually.

This new one was taller, clad in a bizarre outfit that could only be described as a type of armor. "YOU KNOW WHAT IS 'SUP', BROTHER! IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RE-CALIBRATED YOUR TRAPS! WHAT  _ARE_ YOU EVEN DOING?!"

"oh, just staring at this lamp. it's really cool," Sans mused. "wanna look?"

All of them tensed at that, but before he could leap and confront them both, his friend's grip tightened on him and she looked at him with pleading eyes. It was then he realized that even though starting a FIGHT would be very heroic, it was going to have to be more valiant to protect those who weren't going to protect themselves.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME, YOU LAZYBONES!" The taller one- Sans said his name was Papyrus- yelled at once. "UNLIKE YOU, I ACTUALLY DO MY JOB! WHAT IF A HUMAN WERE TO COME THROUGH WHILE I DAWDLE ABOUT? THEY WOULD ESCAPE! WHAT KIND OF ROYAL GUARDSMAN WOULD ALLOW SUCH A THING?!"

"i dunno, those guards in Snowdin get distracted pretty easily...besides, you're still in training."

"THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT! NOW GET OFF YOUR TAIL BONE AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

"i'm on break. i've gotten a  _ton_  of work done today. a  _skele-ton."_

Immediately, the sound of a rim shot echoed in the distance, but it didn't seem to alarm anyone but all six of the humans. To his equal parts amusement and annoyance, Adeline and Frisk both suppressed giggles as the shorter skeleton laughed. Papyrus evidently felt the same way as the other boys, declaring a hearty "UGH, SANS" despite the grin on his face.

"come on, you're smiling~"

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" The smile disappeared at once, but it was still pretty clear the louder monster loved his brother. "YOUR PUNS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE MY LIFE AND INTERRUPT MY PATROL!"

"sounds like you're really working yourself  _down to the bone."_

The rim shot echoed out again and Adeline had to press her hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter, which was as risky and it was endearing to the older boy. If she laughed that much at a stupid pun, he was going to have no problems from now on keeping her relaxed.

"UGH!" Papyrus shrieked, turning away with a grand flourish. "I MUST CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR HUMANS, BROTHER! ONCE I CAPTURE ONE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THAT I UTTERLY DESERVE! I'LL BE SO...POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!"

Maria quietly hummed a familiar pop tune, causing Oswald to flash one of his rare smiles. Akin was astounded how easily some of them could be entertained.

"PEOPLE WILL WANT TO BE MY...FRIEND?!" He continued to shout. "CAN'T YOU SEE IT, SANS? I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING!"

"Kinky..." He muttered now, earning a playful shove from Della.

"well, maybe this lamp can help those kisses light up your life." Was this guy really that determined to rat them out?!

"SANS, YOU ARE NOT HELPING, YOU LAZYBONES. I MUST ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES. AS FOR YOUR WORK, PUT A LITTLE MORE...BACKBONE INTO IT! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

He briskly walked to the edge of the area, finally finishing with an exhaustive 'HEH' and going out of sight completely. Frisk immediately moved to reveal herself, but Micah immediately grabbed her arm and shook his head with a weary glance toward Sans. Akin wasn't shaken up- never!- but he had to agree with the older boy; if that skeleton was so intent on ratting them out then, what was stopping him from doing it again with someone less harmless?

"hey, kids. you can come on out now." Now his voice was softer and gentle, obviously intent on coaxing them out but not forcing it. "sorry about all the lamp jokes, but my brother never really listens to me, especially when i'm telling my hilarious jokes. i just couldn't resist."

None of them made a move, so he walked over himself now, his grin never fading. "aw, don't be afraid of me now. nothing bad is going to happen to you if you just stick with me, okay? i don't know what kind of place you all came from, or how you all managed to stick together-"

Micah flinched at the notion of staying together, but Akin felt for the guy. All of his life he'd watched people he cared about choose what was the best for them and not anyone else, so he did his best at casting a sympathetic, understanding look.

"...but seriously, i've got your backs. i wouldn't have done it if i didn't know my brother wouldn't hurt any of you."

"...I believe you." Adeline stood up now and he followed immediately, throwing his arm around her shoulders once more for good measure.

"I wasn't afraid of him, anyway," he stated loudly. "He's all talk!"

"sure kid." Why did the punk have to act like he didn't believe him?! "all of you should get going before he comes back. then again, if you aren't afraid of him or curious at all, you could stay and listen to some jokes."

That was all the incentive he needed! He all but ran ahead with his friend now, his grip holding her as steady as he could against the slippery ice. Oswald , Frisk and Maria followed at once, and Micah hung back for a moment before re-securing his hand over Frisk's.

"hey. before you go, i want to ask a favor." Akin barely stopped at that, but he did for the sake of Della's tender heart. "my brother's been kind of down as of late. it would really make his day if a human- or six- came to town."

"And you promise we're not in danger if we do it?" Adeline inquired after a few moments of silence.

"look, kid, i've got morals  _tibia_ honest." She laughed out fully this time, and he winked before turning around. "see you around."

He watched him walk away for a minute, but when he blinked, it seemed that he'd vanished. Weird.

"So...Should we keep going?" Maria asked warily, her eyes resting on each of them.

" _You can trust the comedian. He's annoying, but Frisk and Adeline agree with me. What is that you always say, Akin?"_

He'd be damned if he let them steal his line! "Yeah! ONWARD!"

"You sound like Papyrus," Micah teased, but before he could glare, he couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of them. "But I want to check out this place before we go. Maybe it has something we can use?"

Maria walked over to the lamp again as the older boy checked out the sentry station, and both of them paused- probably listening to the Narrator- before walking back to them and reporting it was nothing much. Upon exiting the area, the first thing Akin noticed was another glowing yellow star, which he immediately touched.

_"The convenience of that lamp energizes you. You are filled with bravery."_

**FILE SAVED: BOX ROAD.**

* * *

Boxes were extremely useful inventions. Micah had never had real reason to appreciate them before, but in the cold of the Underground, he appreciated having a place to store things if needed. He decided to place the last slice of cinnamon pie he'd kept there, just for now, and the others followed suite.

"There are two different ways we can go," he said to everyone. "Do we want to split up or stick together?"

"We'll probably run into danger along the way..." Maria noted. "We might want to stay with each other until we become familiar with the area."

"But we could always call for help," Oswald countered coolly. "And we'll become familiar with the area more quickly if we collaborate information."

"All in favor of us splitting up?" He offered diplomatically, and when four hands went up, he sighed but nodded. "Right. There are six of us and two paths, so it only makes sense to go three to a group."

"We'll go straight ahead!" Akin decided at once, dropping his arm from around Adeline's shoulder to substitute her hand. "Right, Della?"

It was pretty clear to him she didn't truly want to, but when she looked into his eyes, she softened at once. "Alright. But don't let go."

They disappeared into the next area, and Oswald rolled his eyes and followed without another word. Maria and Frisk exchanged a glance before snickering, and he couldn't help but wonder what was so funny as he followed them. Was the Narrator being selective with information now? Or was it just a 'girl thing'?

The world went dark before he could decide.  _"Snowdrake flutters forth!"_

The monster before him certainly fit his name- he looked like a bird combined with various snowflakes. He turned to his left to ask if they were going to do attacks as they'd done in the Ruins, only to find nobody around. Frisk and Maria must have not been close enough to enter the FIGHT, or maybe they'd fled immediately. That was probably the best thing to do if that was the case...

_"It's just you in this FIGHT, buddy. But you can still run if you want."_

Fighting alone? None of them had ever tried it to his knowledge, but it didn't scare him as much as he thought it would. He'd look like a coward in front of the two girls he loved if he just ran, and he was of the opinion he was one of the most diplomatic out of any them. Without the constant worry of Tally (even though he missed her dearly), he was willing to be braver.

"Why do we never go outside? Because we're SNOWDIN!" Snowdrake joked with a harsh life.

He couldn't help the rude reaction; it just wasn't funny, nor did it make sense to him.  **HECKLE**

_"You boo the Snowdrake."_

Unsurprisingly, the monster didn't take kindly to that. "Yeah? Well, this won't be funny either!"

His purple soul didn't prove to be very useful against this enemy. He could only move it so quickly, and with it being confined to a grid-like pattern, he'd lost 12/20 HP by the time the attack was over.

"You're a very ICE audience!"

Fear spread throughout his chest before he recalled the monster candy he'd been holding onto from his time in the Ruins, and the second he ate one his HP restored. Unfortunately, all the healing took away his turn to ACT, so he did his best and managed to only lose 8 HP this time.

"Sometimes I really feel like I'm going through a cycle. An ICE-CYCLE! Get it?!"

It still wasn't funny, but he decided to  **LAUGH** for both of their sakes.  _"You laugh at the Snowdrake's pun."_

"See? Laughs! Dad was wrong!" The creature crowed, and despite the fact he had to lose 4 HP regardless of his complimenting, he did feel pity for the miserable monster.

_"Snowdrake seems happy with you."_

Micah gratefully hit  **MERCY** and won several pieces of gold in the monster's place, which made him grin in victory. Frisk was standing there when the world became full of light, a smile on her face as she hugged him.

'You were amazing,' she signed, the pride on her face evident. 'I'm so happy for you.'

"Thank you..." He blushed despite himself. She really was his best friend. "Where's Maria?"

A look of annoyance flashed across his companion's face. 'She left. She said you'd probably be fine in battle.'

That hurt despite the way he outwardly shrugged. He'd be infatuated with her as long as he could remember, and she completely abandoned him in favor of exploring. Maybe his earlier hypothesis was true and she truly didn't care for anyone other than Oswald.

"It was another freaking pun!" Maria ran in now, her eyes full of so much fire he could feel his heart flutter with attraction. "It was a fishing line! A PICK UP line! Can you believe it?! And when I called the number with that cell phone Toriel gave us, some guy offered me some fish and said we should float on an ice cube some time! What a creep!"

'Stranger danger,' Frisk signed indignantly, and he snickered. The older girl just seemed confused, so he assumed their Narrator hadn't translated, which he appreciated.

"Come on, we should go back," he encouraged, and they walked back down the with with his hand secured over Frisk's. How were they so warm despite everything?

_"Frisk's determination seems to flow in you now. You are filled with perseverance."_

He did his best to think his thanks for the Narrator to hear, but they didn't reply before the trio emerged into the new area, so he just had to hope and assume they'd gotten his message.

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE..."

Oh no, it was those two skeletons again. He found Papyrus to be boisterous and a bit intimidating, not because he was a 'threat' persay, but because he was clearly very confrontational and he was very...not. Sans was more unnerving, what with almost selling them out from the hiding spot  _he'd_ assured them of, so he didn't trust him even remotely. Frisk seemed to brighten up at the sight of them, so that  _almost_ made what happened before okay, but at least Maria's expression proved she shared his sentiment.

"We haven't tried revealing ourselves yet. If it's dangerous, I said we should all FIGHT together," Oswald muttered for the three of them to hear, which he appreciated.

Now Papyrus turned and the small dots in his eye sockets seemed to widen, and he immediately looked back to Sans, but his brother didn't meet his gaze. This went on for a few moments, both of them going faster and faster until Adeline was giggling furiously into her hands and Frisk let out a small snort of laughter. Even Akin was grinning at the antics; at least Maria and Oswald continued to be stoic like himself.

When Papyrus spoke again, both skeletons were faced with their backs toward them (which confused him but he didn't question it). "SANS?! OH MY GOD?! IS THAT A HUMAN?!"

"uh, actually, i think that's a rock."

Sure enough, there was indeed a rock behind them, but Micah was convinced they  _couldn't_ be serious. Much to his displeasure, it became clear very quickly they were.

"OH."

"hey, what's that in front of the rock?"

"OH MY GOD! (IS...IS THAT A HUMAN)"

"yes. six of them, actually."

"OH MY GOD!"

"If he says 'Oh my God' one more time, I'm gonna lose it," he grumbled to his partner.

'Be nice,' she signed with a pointed, sympathetic look. 'He's happy.'

"SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!" Papyrus crowed eagerly, his bones vibrating and clacking against each other in excitement. "UNDYNE WILL...I'M GONNA...I'LL BE SO...POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!"

He couldn't help but give Frisk a Look in the face of repeated dialogue, and Maria rolled her eyes and grumbled about how 'it's not as funny the second time'.

"...AHEM." All six of them seemed to tense when he spoke again, this time his gaze burning into them all despite his childlike grin. "HUMAN...WELL, HUMANS, PLURAL! NONE OF YOU SHALL PASS THIS AREA! FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL CAPTURE YOU ALL AND DELIVER YOU TO THE CAPITOL! THEN...THEN!"

He wondered if the others were holding their breaths as well.

"WELL, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."

Of course he wasn't.

"IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE, ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

The laugh maintained as he rushed out of view, his bones still shivering with excitement, leaving his brother to comment. "well, that went well. don't sweat it, kiddos. i'll keep an eyesocket or two out for ya."

They were both gone after that, and he let out a huge sigh of relief as well as exasperation. "I understand that they've likely been that way since before we came around, but they can't be expected to be taken seriously when they act so...wacky. It's better than scary monsters, but really? I fought this snowflake guy one-on-one and he scared me more!"

" _Frisk says she wishes you'd just be happy we're not in any real danger."_

"Yeah," Adeline agreed softly. "I agree that they're very different, but we shouldn't judge them based on that. We- or at least I- got judged a lot because I wasn't like everyone else, and it made me very sad and alone. Maybe they just need friends."

"Or maybe they need their tailbones kicked, but they gotta give me more proof than that," Akin agreed roughly.

Oswald tipped the brim of his hat to reveal more of his face, which was grim and paler now than it'd been in the Ruins. "It's a front. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is or how, but they both have a lot of power. We need to watch our step around them."

"We could always go back..." Adeline voiced after a few moments of silent contemplation.

"No way!" He declared for all of them before his tormentor could. "We've come this far. Besides, if things like Snowdrakes are the only thing that are gonna pose a real threat, we'll be fine alone and even better together. Lets go see with these bone brothers are made of!"

Nobody laughed or cheered like he was subtly mentally hoping, but he did earn a small smile from Frisk, Adeline, and even Oswald as they trekked forward once more. Despite plastering the grin on his face, he internally felt more tangled up than he'd been since they were on the Surface. Even deep Underground he couldn't seem to find any real acceptance, even with his best friend when he voiced how he truly felt. He had a feeling that the only way to survive against the strange mechanics of this world meant he'd have to be brave, but that didn't change the insecurity churning deep in his stomach.

Micah supposed it was stereotypical to wonder if he'd find a place where he truly belonged, especially in a new, mysterious land, and yet he wondered.


	9. Both Nicknames and Puzzles Have More Signifigance They Originally Intended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara has questionable nicknames, but their application proves more compassion than they intended. Snow is draining, Maria has issues with height and peril, and even the kindest have their breaking points

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to extend a sincere 'thank you' to this website for allowing room for my chapter title to sound worthy compared to the rest. At the very least, it makes more sense in the context of the chapter itself.

As a general rule of thumb, Chara did not consider anyone who told horrible jokes a threat. Of course they could sense the immense power dwelling inside of the two skeleton brothers, but they had a very strong feeling that they wouldn't use it unless something horribly traumatic happened. They knew exactly the circumstances to draw out those abilities, but they were doing their best to be a pacifist like their partner. Maybe Frisk would choose a more...'interesting' path in the future, but for now, she didn't want to harm anyone, so they wouldn't, either.

"Don't move an inch," Akin read off of the sign by the sentry station, and at once all six of them froze in place.

 _"Well, if you want to encounter this enemy or go forward, you'll have to move a little. Just don't move once he's out."_ They found it somewhat wearisome to have to explain this before they figured it out, but if they had any death or peril that could affect their existence (which they did, but they'd chosen a careful host), they'd probably be just as full of apprehension.

To their pleasure, they didn't have to explain how to navigate blue attacks from that point. Doggo was a very neurotic monster, and was plagued pretty strongly by paranoia by the time they'd finished petting him and 'not moving', but at least they'd won some gold by it. They couldn't say they agree with Oswald holding onto all of the money because 'he's the most level-headed one!', but at least Micah began writing down their individual funds. They were beginning to think more and more than he and Frisk were only ones they were ever going to find commonplace with.

"Oh, shoot!" Maria declared in a low voice, whipping back around to the others with a frown. "It's those skelebros just up ahead. I don't want to listen to another one of Papyrus's rants."

"Then don't." Oswald's face concealed most of his emotions well, but the annoyance in his tone was unmistakable. "He's like Nan- once he gets started, there's no stopping him, and he won't notice if we leave subtly. We could just FLEE."

"But what about making friends with them?" Adeline placed her tiny hands on her hips now. "I know he's a little...a little..."

_"Tedious?"_

The nine year old was very clearly looking to not lose her front, but the confusion she was radiating was heavy, so they took the liberty of defining it quickly and quietly in her mind.

"Tedious! Thank you!" The fierce expression returned at once, and she even set her jaw. "He's a little tedious with how much he goes on, but at least he means well! I think he just wants to have some fun."

"Well, I'm not interested." Maria's eyes were kind, but her mind was clearly made up. "You can stay and see what happens; besides, I'm sure at least Sans would notice if we all went away during the 'battle'."

"And probably get offended," Micah added grimly. "So maybe half of us can go?"

 _"How typical. Two of us go, the rest of you stay and endure. Maybe we can trade places next time."_ Truth be told they wanted to deal with it about as much as Maria, so they were going to take any chance they could to get out of there.

Frisk was obviously not pleased with this notion, but the others agreed, some more begrudgingly than others. Once they entered the area, Papyrus shouted about how they'd 'dared to proceed' before launching into an explanation of the electricity maze he'd designed. Chara frowned; maybe it would be better for them to make sure none of their kids fried their brains. Before they could voice this concern to their partner, however, Frisk was already moving forward with her head down and her hand secured around Maria's wrist to keep her steady. Sans noticed at one, as proven by one of his eye sockets lazily opening to watch them, but he didn't say anything until they were forced to walk nearly beside him.

"gee, humans, no need to be rude," he mumbled under his sibling's spirited proclamations. "would you treat your mother that way if she made you a puzzle?"

Even though they couldn't it like their companion, Chara knew Maria had tensed up as she looked away. "If my mother made me a puzzle, I'd play it a hundred times so she might finally love me. But you're not my mother and I'm curious about what's ahead. Catch you if and when there's another puzzle."

With that the older girl was dragging the two determined-filled humans after her, and as she blinked back tears, the ghostly narrator decided she could use some words of encouragement.  _"Standing up for yourself after years of silence makes you feel proud. You are filled with integrity."_

Maria's thoughts were weighted with tears she was trying to hold back, but she did respond with a, 'Thank you.'

_"Anytime, Little Blue."_

Their original disposition was that they'd try not to become attached to any human who'd eventually fall down, but after seeing seven plummet at once, they'd allowed themselves to booth root for them and become attached. It hurt them like the others when Tally decided to stay behind with Toriel, but at least they knew for sure it was for the best; the Underground was far from child friendly, and the weight of her death would more than likely destroy the group. After using said five year old's nickname, they'd come up with little affectionate dubs for all of the children based on their SOUL color. Except for Frisk's, of course; she was simply 'partner'.

_"Frisk says, 'There is a monster over there. We should talk to him.'"_

The nice-cream seller was harmless, and a bit pathetic, but Chara wouldn't hold it against him. Maria made a face at the idea, but she ultimately sighed and walked over to him.

"Excuse me, mister?" She voiced when their partner merely looked at them for encouragement. "What are you selling?"

The monster's ears rose in excitement as he broke into a huge, toothy grin. "A customer! At last! Would you like to buy some nice cream? Now only 15G!"

"Shoot, I gave all my money to Ozzy..." She mumbled before looking back up. "Sorry sir, I don't have any money."

Their partner quickly stuffed her hand into her pocket and pulled out the gold coins Micah had given her back in the beginning of the wintery area; he'd passed them over while Papyrus was on his first rant and winked when she tried to give them back. It didn't surprise him that she was being so generous; after all, she didn't want to take anything from his tricky battle with Snowdrake in the first place.

"Thank you very much!" The vendor, who they would now dub 'Nice Cream Guy', crowed excitedly and handed over a pop. "Tell all your friends!"

_"Frisk suggests you go ahead and eat it in front of him. It'll probably make him happy to see us enjoying it."_

The Narrator didn't need taste buds to know the flavor was indescribable because both of their initial reactions told it all. The only different was that the younger girl immediately forced a smile to reassure Nice Cream Guy while the older slapped her hand over her mouth to conceal her disgust without losing complete honesty.

 _"It tastes awful,"_  they noted for support.  _"But_   _seeing the Nice Cream Guy so happy fills you with determination/integrity."_ (That was one of the advantages of being supernatural- they'd learned how to split their voice to say two different things at once.)

Just ahead of the trio stood Sans, looking as sleepy and casual as ever. Even Chara couldn't properly figure out just how he could do these fantastic feats, but they had a feeling they'd discern it before the two astounded children beneath her.

"hey kiddos. wanna buy some melted snow? it's just 50G," he mused. "is that puzzle enough for you?"

The young teenager scowled at once. "That's not a puzzle, that's water!"

"welp, you caught me. why don't you go occupy yourself with that ball game over there?"

This seem to capture the older girl's attention and distract her from her increased agitation. "What 'ball game'?"

"can't stay i've figured it out myself. i think the goal is to get the ball in the hole, but it always melts before i can do it," he explained with a shrug. "who knows, maybe it's just designed for humans. or i could just be too hole-ified by the task."

Maria, probably in her better judgement, simply huffed (a lot like Papyrus) and practically ran over to the puzzle. She solved it quickly, probably to spite the skeleton watching, jumping and spinning to guide and never leaving the snowball's side. Once it dropped it the hole, a small victorious sound sounded from within and a small, dark blue flag raised up.

_"Hopping and twirling, your original style pulled you through. You were awarded 2G."_

"2G?" She repeated with a sigh, but at least she accepted the prize.

Frisk solved the puzzle within ten seconds, most likely due to having seen her friend do it once before, and the Narrator couldn't help but chuckle as the red flag appeared.  _"Patience. Bravery. Integrity. Perseverance. Kindness. Justice. Using all of these, you were able to win at "Ball". You were awarded 50G."_

"What?!" Maria complained at once. "How is that fair?!"

_"She preformed the task more quickly than you, and utilized more personality traits than you. I suppose that makes the award higher, but it is a bit extreme how more more she got, I'll agree with you there."_

The teenager groaned and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, seeming to mull over what had been said before looking up with a resigned expression. "I'm sorry for losing my cool. I'll try and be more reasonable from now on."

_"Frisk and I agree- don't worry about it. She also adds that it is unfair, and she'd be happy to share if you want some. After all, you six are a team overall, but right now you're a team that's just as important as the main one."_

"That's okay, Frisk." She took their companion's tan hands in her darker ones with a gentle squeeze. "You earned it. Unfortunately, that means you're going to have to buy all the healing items in the meantime."

The younger human betrayed her usual silence to giggle and wink back at their newest friend, and Chara couldn't help but wink despite the fact Maria couldn't see them. They could feel the loneliness and longing that radiated off of their chosen human the second they became one, so having someone more than Micah care about them made them proud on behalf of them both. It wasn't likely that all six of them would become the best of friends if and when the end of their journey arrived, but they were at least learning tolerance and acceptance of each other, so at least that was a start.

They sensed Micah had done an excellent job at getting the other four of them through the Electricity Maze, and they were finishing up buying Nice Cream for everyone. It was because of this that they encouraged the two girls to not wait up; after all, in accordance with their previous deal, they'd have to do this puzzle by themselves.

"AH, HUMANS!" Naturally Papyrus had already made his way to the new location, and he looked sad or frustrated despite his earnest grin. "IT SEEMS YOU TWO WILL FINALLY JOIN US! I COULD NOT HELP BUT NOTICE THAT YOU BOTH DECIDED TO 'SKIP' MY GREAT ELECTRICITY MAZE, BUT NO MATTER! YOU SURELY WILL NOT PROCEED IN THIS PUZZLE, FOR IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"i guess humans only come to battle in groups or two or four," Sans noted loudly enough for the trio to hear, and Chara took a small break from her mature physique to make a face that made Frisk giggle behind her hand.

"SANS!" Poor Papyrus had clearly not properly noticed the alarming lack of humans, and it was pretty likely that he wouldn't unless his sibling deliberately pointed it out, so Chara merely rolled their eyes as they listened. "WHERE IS THE PUZZLE?!"

"it's right there, bro," he answered in his typically droll voice. "trust me, there's no way they'll get past this one."

Upon further inspection from their partner, they discovered it was merely a Monster Kidz word search puzzle. This time Maria was the one to grin and Frisk was the one to move straight ahead, but the Narrator could appreciate the oldest child's decision to appease the skelebros despite their antics being ridiculous. Perhaps she really was going to change her attitude in the snowy section of the Underground, and if she truly did, it made them feel a lot better about the future of their journey Underground as it got less funny and more serious.

"SANS!" Papyrus complained. "THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"well, that human seems to be enjoying it," the shorter noted as Maria began working it. "guess this one just doesn't kidz around. knew i should have put down today's crossword instead."

"A CROSSWORD?! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT!" The taller shouted with a stomp of his leg. "IN MY OPINION, JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASIEST THE HARDEST!"

Chara hated to admit it, but the more energetic monster had a point. Even if Junior Jumble was meant to be for younger children, they'd once found themselves stumped by it while breezing right through the harder stuff. Their brother had laughed at them for that, but they swore to the murder day the makers had gotten them mixed up somehow.

"Junior Jumble? that easy-peasy word scramble? come on, paps, that thing's for baby bones."

"UN. BELIEVABLE! HUMAN! SETTLE THIS DISPUTE!"

As requested, the non-living human presented both options to their companion. Immediately she reached for the  **Crossword** option, but they cleared their throat and pointed to the other.

'Why?' She signed pointedly. 'Crosswords are nearly impossible.'

"Look, just trust me on this one," they defended. "Besides, I bet it'll make Sans happy with you if you make his brother happy."

'Fine.'

**Junior Jumble**

"AHA! I KNEW IT!" Papyrus declared eagerly. "THIS TINY HUMAN OBVIOUSLY HAS GOOD TASTE, SO I WILL HAVE TO SET THEIR NEXT CHALLENGE UP TO THEIR STANDARDS!'

Once he'd disappeared, Sans commented, "hey, thanks for saying Junior Jumble to make my brother happy."

They'd made the call in advance yet again. They really did deserve a high five for all of their hard work, but it'd be kind of hard with their being non-corporeal and all, so they didn't ask.

"enjoying your word search, kid?" He asked Maria with a chuckle. "you really didn't have to go the extra mile. i'm sure we could've searched for something else."

She wrinkled her nose and stood now, presenting the stout monster with the answers all marked by wet snow residue. "Word."

"...we're good, kid. you've got a good sense of humor."

The ghostly narrator smiled a bit when he disappeared and the two girls high-fived, but they couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread hanging in the pit of their stomach every time they thought about the future. For everyone's sake including their own and especially Frisk's, they wanted to believe Maria was still being completely truthful in her attitude and morals. After all, it was just like they'd seen with the Ball Game; integrity was the only way to achieve the best ending.

* * *

Adeline wasn't a fan of the snow. When she was younger, she'd spent many of her days at the beach, sprawled out in the sun with her doll-themed radio playing popular tunes. The move to Barriville with its' harsh winds and cold nights was hard enough, but this new area would be the death of her. The layers Akin was providing helped a little, but she'd made her face puffy with the amount of sneezing she'd done by the time the group of four caught up to Maria and Frisk.

"Are you okay?" Akin hadn't let go of her hand since the Electricity Maze, and she appreciated the warmth it gave through her mitten.

"Yes," she replied softly, managing a small smile. "I'm just trying to take it all in."

"Alright, good!" And on they went, her legs forced to run as he raced ahead and completely disregarding reuniting.

The next room contained food, and despite her first instinct to share with the others, her stomach growled greedily in response. None of them had consumed a proper meal since leaving the Ruins, and she would do just about anything for a slice of pie. Upon further inspection, she realized with dismay that the plate of spaghetti was so cold, it had frozen to the table top. The microwave was unplugged and the settings weren't valid, either, so she couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes.

"This was made by Papyrus!" Akin announced as the others finally entered. "And...It's stuck to the table. What a waste!"

"It's just like the cheese," Micah noted with a chuckle. "Look, there's even a mouse in a hole to go with it!"

It was clear to the nine-year-old the others were moving on from that point, but she continued to stare at the food in dismay. She hadn't really paid much attention to the occasionally pains in her stomach from before- after all, lack of food in the orphanage was nearly as common as the lack of sleep they were all facing- but she was  _so aware_ of her hunger now.

"Della?" Her older friend questioned. "You coming?"

She desperately wanted to reassure him at once, say she was fine with a soft, patient smile. Instead, a sob erupted from her lips, and she gripped her nearly-completely-flat stomach with another cry.

"I-I'm!" She sputtered as she gasped in air. "I-I'm s-so hungry, Kin! And...And tired, and I know we need to keep going, b-but all I want to do is rest!"

His eyes softened more than she'd ever seen them, and as he pulled her closer to his chest, he began calling for others to return. Her head ached with the effort of crying and her vision was darkened by the dark fabric of her shirt, but the worst part was this wasn't making her  _feel_ any better. She'd learned after her father's death that tears were more for emotional relief than anything else, but they weren't even doing it now. If anything, they were making her feel even more guilty, and the burden of that only made her feel more nauseous.

"Adeline?" Maria questioned softly. "What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"

_"Seeing the others care about you, not just your assets, fills you with kindness."_

The Narrator was right again; she wasn't used to other children seeing any value in her aside from her cooking abilities or her ability to keep Nan somewhat calm. Yet the other five were, their eyes concerned and their mouths fixed into gentle, well-intended frowns. She quickly wiped her eyes and sniffled, managing a small, weak smile to try and assure them.

"I...I think we should eat real food soon," she explained with an unavoidable waver in her voice. "And sleep. We've been moving pretty fast since we left Toriel's, and we won't last if we don't take care of ourselves."

"But our HPs have been restored," Oswald noted. "So we don't have any real  _need_ to stop."

"We also don't have any real reason to keep moving forward other than curiosity," she countered wearily; arguing was harder than it was in the Ruins due to her body's fatigue and hunger. "Sure, we can live off of her SOUL power, but we won't be at the top of our game if we don't take breaks."

The older boy almost seemed annoyed or anger at first, but he simply nodded once after a few moments. "Well, we can't rest in the snow or we'll freeze to death. Our only option is to keep going until we find a community."

"How do we know there is one?" Akin asked suddenly. "I mean, those skeletons don't have any skin, so the snow wouldn't bother them. They could totally just sleep in the snow like it was nothing."

"Some of you don't know it," Micah replied. "But I ran into a 'Snowdrake' earlier, and he didn't look like he could really withstand the cold without some shelter. Sure he  _looked_ like snowflakes, but that doesn't mean much, especially when he looked part bird, too."

_"Frisk says that it must mean that there is a community somewhere, so you should keep moving."_

Before they could enter the next area properly, the silent girl walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling in reassurance. She also signed something, and the Narrator didn't bother translating for whatever reason, but it seemed by her facial expressions and gestures that she was encouraging her.

"Thank you, Frisk," she responded softly. "I appreciate it. And, um...You too."

She laughed softly in response, which Adeline wasn't positive meant she'd necessarily gotten her flimsy interpretation right, but it made her chuckle as well. Leaving Beatrice behind had made her subtly fear that there would be nobody to keep their hopes up just by existing, but said child's mentor of sorts was doing an excellent job taking her place, at least for herself. Of course she didn't speak or bounce around and was much older, but she was gentle and kind, and she really cared about the others. Truth be told, the nine year old longed to be more like her; it wasn't easy to be kind constantly, and she had made up her mind she wasn't as good or pure as other children had once made her out to be.

The next rooms moved around her like a blur. There were snow related puzzles, the first of which Oswald solved by locating a button to lower the spikes blocking their path, and the second of which Micah solved by turning to 'X's into 'O's. That puzzle appeared twice more, getting more complicated every time, but around halfway through the second time Akin decided he'd try. This led to them going slower, of course, but the nine-year-old had the feeling the others were too tired of make a big deal of it by this point; apparently her cries had triggered an awareness in them as well.

It never ceased to unnerve her when they got into battles, either. A lot of the enemies were members of the Royal Guard, and were dogs at that. When battling Lesser Dog, everyone was content enough to just pet him into submission, but right before she selected the  **MERCY** option (because it was her turn at last), Frisk suggested they continue petting him for whatever reason.

"Whoa, look at his neck!" Maria yelped as a couple of the others gasped. "How long can it go?"

"Only one way to find out," Micah whispered.

_"Lesser Dog has gone where no dog has ever gone before."_

"I'm beginning to think you have a problem, Frisk," Oswald finally said at once his head had nearly reached their option boxes. "Let's end this."

As much as Adeline enjoyed petting the puppy for several minutes, she had to agree and quickly tapped  **MERCY**. The six of them managed to fight all of the Royal Guard members as a collective, but the smaller enemies were pretty good at catching them one at a time. Akin had to battle an 'Icecap', Oswald took on another 'Snowdrake', and she even found herself in a FIGHT with a Gyftrot.

_"Some 'teens' decorated it as a cruel prank."_

"That's awful!" She cried at once, and refused to leave the poor creature until he was completely undecorated and very, very happy with her.

"y'know, you didn't have to carry out the entire task," Sans, who'd she'd met before she and Akin ventured down below the next area. "but he's glad you did. proud of you, kiddo."

"Yeah, Della!" The older boy declared, sticking up his hand for a hearty high five. "Good job!"

_"You know, Green Lean, I'd say you're filled with kindness, but I think you might already be at your brim. Kudos."_

She didn't try to hide her blush or her beaming; even the Narrator was proud of her! By the time they'd reunited with others, Maria had found 30G in a 'snow poff', and was clearly as proud of her achievements as she was of her own.

"I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever see those two again!" Akin exclaimed as they all came up to a tile-appearing puzzle. "Now the real fun can begin!"

"Going through their shenanigans," Oswald grumbled in contrast. "What fun."

"Be more optimistic," Maria chided gently. "They're not bad guys."

"At least not that you know," he deadpanned. "Besides, you're the pot calling the kettle black. You were just complaining about them."

"Then they gave me a word search," she replied curtly; Adeline wondered how she always remained so unfazed by harsh tones and less-than-kind words. "And I told a really good pun that impressed Sans. Change is possible if you just let it happen."

"TINY HUMANS!" Papyrus bellowed eagerly as they came into sight. "THERE IS NO WAY YOU'LL GET PAST THIS ONE! DESPITE RESISTING THE TEMPTATION OF A HOME COOKED MEAL, FIGURING OUT THE TRAPS SO FAR, AND EVEN OVERCOMING MY BROTHER'S PUZZLE, PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THE MULTI-TILED MAZE OF DOOM (OR AT LEAST MILD PERIL)!"

He then proceeded to launch into a complex explanation of all the colored tiles and their purpose, but she just couldn't keep up despite her best efforts. Akin had been the one to converse with the taller skeleton before and impress him by solving the puzzle shaped like him, so she hadn't gotten to mention how frozen the pasta was, and the thought of it made her stomach moan anew. It must have been pretty loud, too, because he stopped his brazen explanation to pause and look around anxiously.

"BROTHER! DID YOU HEAR THAT?" He demanded with his bones beginning to clack against each other. "IT SOUNDED LIKE A MONSTER!"

"bro. we're monsters."

"NOT OUR KIND! THE SCARY KIND THAT EAT BABY BONES! HUMANS, I AM AFRAID IF THERE ANY OF THOSE IN THE AREA, WE WILL HAVE TO SKIP THE PUZZLES TO RUN FOR SHELTER."

So even monsters believed in 'monsters'. She was more than ready to correct them gently, but her companion squeezed her hand, winked, and puffed out his chest.

"I'm afraid you must be right, Papyrus!" He responded, and as if on cue, her stomach moaned again. "See?! It must be getting closer! We better get out of here!"

"VERY WELL! COME, TINY HUMANS! YOU MUST SOLVE THIS PUZZLE QUICKLY, OR IT COULD VERY WELL BE YOUR LAST! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

He threw the switch and all of them them watched with concern as the grid lit up and switched colors rapidly; how were they going to remember everything? She was sure Micah had likely jotted everything down, but it was going to take forever! It was at that moment the grid lit up a red with a large, pink strip in the center, and the glasses-clad member of their group immediately snorted with laughter.

"Well, looks like this is easy!" He snickered. "The pink ones are the safe ones, and the red ones are impossible to tread, so..."

Poor Papyrus looked moderately horrified as they strolled to the other side with ease, turning around as if in a daze. "RIGHT...COME HUMANS! WE WILL TAKE YOU AS OUR PRISONERS IN SNOWDIN TOWN!"

"bro, if it was this easy to capture them, why didn't we just do that at the start?" Sans questioned, but the humor on his face was never lost.

"WHAT'S THE FUN IN THAT?" He countered, earning himself a shrug from his sibling. "COME NOW! QUICKLY, I JUST HEARD IT SNARL AGAIN!"

Adeline was positive her face was as red with embarrassment as it was puffy, but running through the snowy forest after their wacky guide filled her with excitement as much as the intention to be extra kind. They reached a bridge suspended over a very large drop (which she quite frankly wondered how anyone could manage to build some a fantastic structure over), and she was almost halfway across before she realized they were missing two members. On the end of the bridge, Maria seemed to be frozen in place, and Oswald was right by her side as usual.

"Is everything alright?" She called, freezing in her tracks.

"She'll be alright!" Oswald replied shortly, but he moved closer to her, more protectively. "She just needs a minute to cross the bridge. Keep going, we'll catch up!"

She couldn't bear to leave anyone else behind, not now, not when they'd already come so far. She was about to start back toward them, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her feet.

"K-Kin?" She inquired in shock.

"Get a good grip onto me. You really need food or you'll pass out during a fight," he grunted. "You're gonna have to take care of yourself for once, Della. I'll make sure of it!"

Due to her gripping him from the front, she could see the oldest member of the group remain frozen and the yellow-SOULed boy refusing to leave her side. She wanted so desperately to help, but as much as she didn't want to admit it, Akin had a point. Although she would never admit it or pursue this desire herself, she was grateful he'd finally voiced what she longed for all along: To finally be selfish.

* * *

"Look Marie, I know this is hard for you, but there's no other way to get across the bridge." Oswald felt true empathy for his best friend, but this was a dilemma they couldn't afford.

"I can't do it..." She replied weakly, her dark eyes full of tears and lower lip quivering. "You know I can't."

"But you  _have_ to," he said with a hint of desperation. "Look, I know those two skeletons appear fun-loving and silly, but we have no idea what they're truly capable of if we push them far enough. Sans has already gotten mad at you already; we can't risk more delays. We just have to play this game until it's safe."

"Play the game..." She echoed. "You never played by the rules Above..."

"That was Above, Marie!" He gripped the sides of her face firmly and pulled her so their foreheads touched. "Look, just keep your eyes on me the entire time. I won't let go no matter what happens. As far as you need to be concerned, we're just walking across a wooden floor. Okay?"

Her trust was clearly not in his favor yet, but to his relief, she nodded and gripped his wrists in response. "H-how are you going to walk backwards?"

"It's just like walking frontwards, only in reverse," he responded casually. "it's a straight shot, after all."

It was that, but that didn't make it any easier. He was the most comfortable in high places, but no tree Above had the kind of drop that was awaiting them, and there was no way to ensure he wouldn't send them both plummeting to their dooms. Despite all of that, he continued to guide her slowly, his legs trembling under the thick fabric of his jeans as he kept his gaze locked with hers. Everything he did now was for her. He was going to get her across the bridge, and then he was going to patiently wait until he could deliver some due revenge to those brothers for putting them all in such perilous situations. It had to be justifiable despite their random acts of kindness; they  _were_ just children after all, and even in a world as backwards as this one, that must count for something.

"hey, kiddos. need a hand?" Sans' deep voice asked, and the ten-year-old didn't have to look to know he'd probably detached one of his limbs to make a joke, so he didn't.

"We're fine," he grunted forcefully. "Go cater to your brother. Take care of the others."

"welp, if you insist..." He drolled, which somehow only agitated the pre-teen more. "but i would think it'd be easier to take an abridged path."

"If there's a shorter path, why would any of us go over this?" He finally outright snapped.

"hey buddy, take it easy. i just happen to know a shortcut if she's too nervous. but you're going to have to trust me a little. okay?"

He didn't want to, but by the hopeful gleam in his friend's eyes, she did. "...Fine."

It was in an instant there was snow being crunched by the sudden appearance of their weight, and he blinked and looked around in shock. They were outside of a house, one that was placed between several other buildings. There was no explanation for it, but before he demand answers, he discovered the shorter skeleton had fallen asleep and was snoring softly.

"D...did we just teleport?" Maria inquired, her tone suggesting she was in a daze.

"Maybe? I don't know." His patience was non-existent at this point, he would rather be anywhere but a place where the air was heavy and frigid, and he was far too exhausted to try and discern an explanation for now. "Let's just figure out what the hell happened to the others."

"There they are!" She exclaimed before he could suggest looking in either direction. "By that sign! And they're coming this way, so why don't we just go inside?"

He figured it was warmer there, so he didn't hesitate in pushing open the door and immediately collapsing onto the couch. It had indents in it, probably from protruding hipbones, but it was pretty soft, and TV's static sounded more like home than he cared to admit. Maria joined him directly after, her head resting on his chest and her hands finding his to lock with. For just a minute or so, everything was peaceful, and Oswald decided then this one the kind of life he could call his own. Then, of course, Papyrus entered and broke the illusion with his persistent shouting.

"YOU LAZYBONES! THIS IS NO TIME FOR A NAP!" He chastised as he toted his sleeping relative in under his arm. "WE MUST BE COURTEOUS TO OUR GUESTS- I MEAN PRISONERS! SANS? SANS! OH, I GIVE UP. I'LL JUST DEPOSIT YOU ON- OH! GREETINGS, OTHER HUMANS! HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU BEAT US HERE?"

He'd just closed his eyes and wasn't bothering to open them, so he merely tipped the brim of his hat down and muttered, "He knew a shortcut."

"THAT IS JUST LIKE HIM TO KNOW! NO MATTER! I SHALL DEPOSIT HIM IN HIS ROOM AND THEN YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUR CELL, OR AS I LIKE TO CALL IT, MY GARAGE!"

"A-actually, Mister Papyrus..." He'd thought Adeline had started sounding bad ever since they'd gotten to Snowdin, but now she sounded like complete hell. "W...We understand that we're your prisoners, a-and we have to do whatever you say...B-but we're really hungry, and tired, and w-we just wanna...Maybe just..."

She gave way to soft crying at that point and he opened one eye, but the reaction Papyrus gave didn't make it last very long. He immediately threw his hands to his jaw, which of course dropped Sans with a 'umph', but he seemed entirely unconcerned as he threw himself to his knees and put his gloved hands over her watery eyes.

"NO, NO! TINY HUMAN! DO NOT LEAK!" He shouted frantically. "OF COURSE YOU CAN EAT AND REST! HERE, I'LL GET STARTED ON THE PASTA RIGHT AWAY, AND YOU CAN ALL RELAX IN HERE UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO BE PRISONERS! WILL THAT MAKE YOU STOP?!"

To both of their pleasure, she giggled at once and wiped at her eyes with a sniffle. "Y-yes sir. Bu...but can I help you cook? P-pasta is really fun and easy to make, and I know a lot of recipes..."

"THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SERVE PASTA? COME, SMALL HUMAN! WE MUST GET TO THE KITCHEN IMMEDIATELY!"

"Wh-what about him?"

"OH, HE SLEEPS JUST FINE ON THE FLOOR. WE MUST GO AT ONCE!"

With the drama contained in the new room of the home, Oswald closed his eye again and sunk further into the cushions. He could hear Akin run after the monster and human, shouting about how he could help somehow, and Micah and Frisk moving beside them, but he was asleep before he could register anything other than the small, now annoyed voice in his head.

_"The fact that you humans are too human to go despite full HPs fills me with determination to do this for you."_

**FILE SAVED: SNOWDIN TOWN**


	10. Misjudgment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Typically, the judgement of character does not lives Above. The same rules could not apply less in the world Below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter begins, I would like to alert you all I am fully aware that the character introduced in the first portion of this chapter does not appear in canon game-play until a much later location. However, I reckon there are a lot of critical changes that would occur with the presence of seven humans rather than one, and the sheer amounts of determination as well as the other traits would bring power to some of the most obscene parts of the game. Therefore, the deviation from what's currently speculated about this character is completely intentional.
> 
> With that being said, enjoy! Please don't forget to review!

She didn't understand completely  _why s_ he had to wear the mask, but Beatrice didn't want to upset her mother by over-inquiring. After all, questions always seemed to get her in trouble with Nan or Christen, so she kept them to herself as she fit the thin plastic over her mouth and nose. It felt foreign and she sneezed despite it, but Toriel regarded her with a small, patient smile, so she dismissed it with a tiny grin before remembering she couldn't see it.

"H-how long...?" She finally ventured warily before clamming up.

"Do not be afraid to ask, my child," her mother soothed, and she grinned again. Of course Toriel wouldn't get onto her for something like that! She was too good!

"How long do I need to wear this thing, Mama?" She asked more confidently.

"As long as it takes for you to adjust to the environment, my dear," she replied with a smile that almost seemed sad. "I was beginning to think I should equip all of you children with them, but...Well, you know how it is."

The little five year old did, and it still hurt to talk about it, but her mother seemed comforted when they discussed it, so she kept quiet. She missed Frisk and Micah much more than she originally thought she would (which made her feel guilty), but she found herself missing the others almost just as fiercely. They were far from perfect- Akin was loud, Oswald could be mean- but they were kind, honest, and loyal. She'd give just about anything to have the full group with the two of them, and she knew Toriel felt the same way.

"Yes ma'am," she echoed softly. "But I bet they're having lots of fun out there. We don't hafta worry."

"Indeed." The motherly monster looked to her with a loving smile and a wink. "In fact, we must be happy for them, should we not? Then our love can reach them anywhere."

"Yeah!" She crowd in agreement. "Can we fix dinner now?"

"Oh dear, it is about time," the mother mused. "Shall we have a flavored loaf? How about cinnamon tonight?"

"Sounds great! And don't worry, Mama. I know the drill."

She didn't blame her mama for not wanting her going outside alone. Even if the monsters were nice enough when they were all together, there was no guarantee they wouldn't attack her out of fear or anger like they'd done to half their group when they went exploring. Besides, she was content to sit inside and do her schoolwork; there were lots of books for her to read, and she loved hearing about the histories of the monsters as well as the humans. As her adoptive parent waved goodbye, she was already opening the newest book and beginning to work her way through the first chapter.

The first few minutes were quiet as per usual. It was when the five year old became  _aware_ of the intense silence that she realized she was extremely bored with her new project, and she hadn't even turned the first page over yet.

"What's wrong with me?" She wondered aloud, as children often do. "The book seems cool...Why don't I wanna read it?"

Maybe it was because it was all she'd seemed to do since coming to live with her. Before the others left, it was easy to find someone to play with or at least watch if she got bored. Now that it was just the two of them, there was nothing but her own thoughts, and sometimes her mother was too busy to play or even talk. She'd had to reassure her parent many times she was there to stay, and while she definitely meant it, she needed  _someone_ to talk to beside her caretaker.

Her next thought shot both inhibition and excitement through her tiny frame. It was scandalous, and probably outright naughty, but maybe, just maybe if she peeked through the big door the others left through, she could find someone to talk with. Of course she'd have to hurry back before Toriel returned, but her outings lasted for a pretty long time. Surely she'd be happy if she found a little friend, right?

The next thing she knew she was in front of it, so she supposed she had to be correct. Maybe the others would even come back if she just opened it the slightest bit-

"oH?"

Beatrice nearly jumped out of her skin; she'd barely touched the wood and the door had...talked? She leaned closer warily, softly putting her hand against the door handle and speaking as softly as possibly.

"Hello?" She repeated. "M...My name is Beatrice. What's yours?"

Text appeared before her eyes rapidly and she blinked quickly, trying to discern them only to realize they weren't words at all. They looked more like symbols, none of which seemed to go together, but she was willing to keep trying to make sense of it before the mysterious stranger seemed to realize her confusion.

"oH My...how DID you accESS this roOm?" The voice inquired shakily.

"This door has always been here," she replied with a little smile, trying her best to look like her mama often did. "How long have YOU been here?"

"S o mAny ?..." The voice drolled, and she couldn't help but flinch as the symbols began appearing rapidly.

"S-sorry if I asked too much at once..." She looked at her feet to avoid the harsh images. "I just really wanted to make another friend other than Mom. It's lonely without the others."

The rapidly pictures ceased at once and the child felt a cold chill dart up her spine at once. "oTHerS?"

She'd been warned not to disclose that there were any others humans to those who didn't know- something about never knowing who was listening?- so she used her excuse now. "Y-yeah, other children. There were a bunch of monsters that came here for a vacation, but they went away, so I miss them."

"cHilD. NO need to lIE to Me," the stranger voiced with a strange chuckle. "but...I wILL not PreSs you if yOu do nOT press me."

"W-well..." She felt strange, like a cold darkness was filling up her chest. "Mama will be home soon. I should go back upstairs..."

"oF coURse you wAnt to. I a sCAry to you, aM i NOT?"

Little Tally prided herself on not telling lies- Nan had instilled at least that into her- but she didn't want to hurt his feelings, either. Instead she touched the door again and smiled softly again, and by the way the symbols that appeared slowly faded, she hoped that meant they liked this.

"You're kind of scary," she admitted. "But that's just cause...I never met you before. So once I know you, you won't be scary anymore!"

"...tHank YOu. BUt wHaT mAKEs you ThINk yOu can FiX me?"

"...Nothing at all!" She chirped, quickly kissing the wood and scurrying toward the stairs. "But I'm willing to try! Bye, Mister Door!"

Now that she was away from them, the cold darkness had left her chest and made her feel normal besides the chills she was still shivering off. Whoever she'd encountered had to have been a monster, but if she asked her mama, she was scared she'd be upset she'd gone so close to the exit of the RUINS. She'd kept a lot of secrets from Nan, so she'd keep this little one for now.

Besides, she had a feeling they weren't a bad guy. Maybe not a good guy, but a...?

_"W.D Gaster, huh, Tally Mark? That guy's a trip. You're filled with patience anyway."_

A trip! Exactly! She smiled to herself and settled back down with her book now as the shivers finally subsided. "Thank you, Chara!"

* * *

'Could you check on Tally?'

_"Heh. I actually just finished doing that, and let me tell you, she's got her tiny hands full right now."_

'What do you mean?'

Frisk knew her younger friend was capable, but the thought of her having to face any hardship still rattled her internally. She  _was_ only five years old, and they'd gone too far to get back quickly if something really went wrong. Chara may be a narrator, but somehow she doubted that they'd be of any use without her body to host, so she'd developed a sense of paranoia since she'd slept and had violent nightmares about losing her Tally Mark.

_"Don't worry, Frisky Bits. She just made an...interesting friend."_

She didn't like the sound of that in the slightest, but her reliable narrator didn't seem bothered, so she tried to assure herself not to be, either. It didn't have to matter that they were dead, or that they couldn't necessarily perceive peril, or that they were indifferent about pretty much everyone but herself-

The loud shriek emitted from the kitchen window yanked her from her thoughts and inspired her to peek in. Adeline had her hands over her mouth and was suppressing a surge of giggles as Papyrus yelled to Sans about how she'd 'TRANSFORMED THE NOODLES!' and about how 'STUPENDOUSLY DELICIOUS!' the new sauce she'd used was. She had to snicker had the antics; none of the boys seemed to like the skeleton brothers much, but she and Adeline both thought they were hilarious.

"hey kid." She managed to let herself jump when the shorter skeleton appeared, but it still made her heart seem to skip a beat. "looks like soup's on...well, pasta."

She couldn't be sure he'd interpret correctly or if Chara would bother to voice in his head, so she merely nodded and headed inside. Micah was exactly where she'd left him, sat on the stairs and working on interpreting monster text the way Toriel had taught him. Akin had been intent on exploring the second he'd woken up, so he was curled up in a bundle on the couch now as he brushed snow out of his hair and off his clothes. Maria still looked to be half asleep as she leaned against Oswald, who mostly looked annoyed (as per usual), but they were all there, and that did wonders to ease the anxiety stirring in the pit of her stomach.

"We made Alfredo pasta," Adeline voiced shyly as Papyrus distributed the various dishes full of food around. "I hope you all like it."

"It's hot. I'm happy," Akin mumbled and immediately shoveled a big spoonful into his mouth.

_"The taste of something familiar and delicious makes this strange new place feel like home. You are filled with determination."_

**FILE 11.5 SAVED**

'Eleven files already?' She thought as she dug into her dinner eagerly. 'Have we really come that far?'

_"You've still got a long way to go, but yes.'_

'Chara...Do the others have these save points too? Like, do they have half files to save?' She responded, but the thought of having more to go made her more apprehension than she cared to admit.

 _"Nope, just you. I told you before, you're special."_ Maybe it was just her imagination, but they almost looked sad about that fact, maybe even a little afraid.

'The others are very strong,' she noted, trying to pour her empathy into her own thoughts. 'You could always try appearing to them. You could save stuff for them.'

_"It doesn't work like that, but trust me, I wish it did."_

'You do?'

They'd said before they didn't want to get attached to any of them, especially herself, but it sounded more and more like they were going against their original plans. She figured it was probably because she was linked into her emotions of empathy and love, but she also liked to believe that the little ghost attached to them had once been a good person themselves. Of course she had to wonder what caused them to die, and why they'd chosen them, and why they were both so powerful in this world, but those questions were just going to have to come later. Much like her beloved Tally, she would have to be patient.

_"Eat your noodles, kid."_

'You don't look any older than me!' She complained internally at once. 'Who are you to call me a child?'

_"I'm dead. I've been dead for a long time. The universe decided to mock me by making me die when I look like this. So yes, I'll call you 'kid' all I want. It's an affectionate term."_

If that was the case, Sans must care about them in a positive way. The concept was admittedly foreign to the ten-year-old; nobody at the orphanage really knew what it was like to have adults that loved and cared for them, and if they did, those same adults had abandoned them and broken the very trust they'd built. She couldn't help but feel like the small skeleton had more on his mind that just concern and care for them, though; the looks he gave them and the way he never seemed to be far proved that much. It was the same way Nan behaved when she was paranoid and looking for a reason to deliver punishments, and while she liked to think he wasn't  _that_  psychotic, she was positive he wasn't as useless as Papyrus implied.

Given the expressions Oswald and Maria continued to shoot in his direction, she wasn't the only one the brothers weren't fooling.

"I'm going back out there," Akin decided externally as he finished up feasting out of the bowl she assumed the meal was cooked in. "It's a pretty interesting town."

Micah lifted his head now, which alarmed her to say the least; it was to her understanding he avoided him at all costs for reasons all of them were aware of. "I'll go with you. I want to decipher more books."

The younger boy eyed the book in his hands and mumbled, "You're telling me you already cracked the whole thing?"

"Of course," he responded in a flat tone; he evidently still didn't like him much, but at least he was trying to be cordial. "It's just a children's book. The title means says 'Fluffy Bunny Goes to the Store'."

"OOH! A CLASSIC!" The tall skeleton decreed. "EXCELLENT CHOICE, HUMAN PRISONER!"

"Yeah, I guess you can come," the male her age agreed. "But you better keep up!"

He then naturally raced out of the doorway, and not to her surprise, her best friend didn't take much liberty in entertaining his statement. Instead, he walked down at his own pace and kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand the way they often did.

"I'll be back soon," he mumbled into her ear. "Make sure nobody kills anybody, okay?"

'I always do,' she signed with a faint chuckle.

Papyrus insisted they were all his prisoners, but if those two boys were free to explore, she figured the rest of them should, too. There was sort of unspoken agreement they wouldn't remain in one place after exiting the Ruins, after all, so they should all learn as much about Snowdin as they could so they could later determine if they should return. The skeleton siblings were entertaining and she found herself becoming fond of their antics, but there was an entire community in Snowdin, and if they were dangerous the group would have to flee more readily.

_"You sound more like Purple every single day."_

'Am I supposed to apologize for that?' They signed teasingly as they stepped outside.

_"Nah. Anyway, everyone, Frisk suggests that you explore Snowdin more in case there is any danger."_

For a moment, the others didn't seem to hear, or at least didn't care enough to respond. Oswald eventually hefted himself and Maria up, however, and walked to the door with a roll of his eyes.

"I doubt anything could hurt us here," he muttered as he stepped onto the icy terrain.

"You just don't like the temperature," Maria replied readily in a chiding tone. "Frisk has a point. Adeline, come on! We're exploring!"

"OH! WELL! DO BE CAREFUL, HUMAN PRISONERS!" Papyrus exclaimed when the younger girl followed after, stumbling over reapplying her layers. "I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE TO TAKE YOU AS THEIR OWN!"

"We will be!" Adeline chirped with a small smile. "And thank you again for letting us eat and rest. We really needed it."

"OF COURSE! THANK YOU FOR...NOT LEAKING MORE!"

Sans let out a small chuckle and lifted his hand in a wave, but by the way Chara grunted in the back of her mind, she knew he would still be watching as they continued on. As long as he was around, she somehow felt like they'd never be alone as humans again, and that filled her with enough determination to save another file.

"That Sans is getting on my nerves," she heard Oswald grumble just ahead. "He's judging us for no reason. Maybe we should be the ones keeping an eye out for him."

Perhaps she truly was the only one that had the positive sentiment about it.

**...**

As Frisk figured, she was much to explore in Snowdin. She'd met up with Akin and a young monster that simply went by "Monster Kid", ran into a few chatty and quirky locals, and seen a few monsters doing their jobs without much concern to her species. Whether or not they didn't care or just didn't recognize what a human looked like she wasn't sure, but at least everything seemed to be calm.

 _"You really want to leave so soon?"_ Chara inquired as she stared into the foggy path at the end of the area.  _"What about the others?"_

'I'll come back for them,' she responded with finality in her expression. 'I just want to see if there is any more.'

The fog was so thick she couldn't see in front of her, so she put her trust into her narrator as she blindly walked forward. Eventually she stopped due to the obvious silhouette of Papyrus before her, and she found herself flinching when he began his usual loud volume. Maybe it was because the sound seemed to get lost in this open space or because the lack of discerning her surroundings, but the familiar pang of fear seemed to knock up her spine and press down her chest.

"ATTENTION HUMAN! I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME CONFLICTING FEELINGS!" He announced. "LIKE THE JOY IN FINDING A FELLOW PASTA LOVER, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS FRIENDS WHO LIKE MY PUZZLES! HOWEVER! YOU ARE A HUMAN, AND MY PRISONER NEVERTHELESS! YOU WILL BE SENT TO YOUR CELL- OR AS I LIKE TO CALL IT, MY GARAGE- UNTIL UNDYNE COMES TO FETCH YOU!"

She didn't know who "Undyne" was, but she definitely didn't want to stop now. If he was trying to block her path, there was more to see whether it be more Snowdin or a completely different area, and she was set on witnessing it first. The others were great, but accommodating to everyone constantly was tiring. She had her own adventure to accomplish with Chara, and she wanted to get a jump start on it while she still could.

"STEPPING FORWARD FOR BATTLE? HOW EAGER!" He crowed eagerly. "THEN I WILL CAPTURE YOU! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Even if he wanted to fight, she would not. She would just have the MERCY him until he was willing to concede, so she tried her best to keep that in mind as she jumped over the bones and avoided the different patterns. Still, it wasn't always easy when they pierced through her body and made her hard to control her SOUL with the fatigue weighing it down, and she even heard Chara yelp once.

'This isn't doing anything...I'll have to change up my strategy,' she thought as he continued to shout.

**FLIRT**

"FLIRTING?! OH NO, CRAFTY HUMAN! FOR I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!"

_"I can make pasta."_

"OH NO! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!"

The rest of the battle became a blur after that. She'd allowed herself to become extremely weak by not resting up enough and only eating a portion of her pasta, and there was no time to go back for more supplies.

"HUMAN!" Papyrus's voice sounded far away; why did his face look so horrified? "HUMAN, THIS IS NO TIME FOR NAPPING! HUMAN!"

The pain was now in her back, something sharp and hard. He'd done many things during their FIGHT, but he never aimed from behind. It must have been someone else, someone more malicious, more determined to kill...

_"What the HELL, Stars."_

She always thought she'd think of her loved ones when the time came for her to die, but her memory seemed to fail her as she watched her surroundings go completely black and her SOUL break in half.

**...**

"You cannot give up yet! You are the future between humans and monsters!" The voice that radiated in the back of her mind was unfamiliar, but it did not frighten her, wherever she was now. "Chara...Stay determined..."

Chara? That was her companion's name, but certainly not her own. Could someone else finally see them, too?

_"Come on, Frisk. You heard the monster. Open your eyes."_

Their surroundings were still completely black, but she found herself able to clearly take in her own body and more important, her narrator. They looked much more annoyed than upset or shaken, but they still offered a small smile as they extended their hand to her.

 _"We can touch when we're here. Unless you're scared of me now, of course,"_ they mused.

She didn't hesitate, immediately launching forward and engulfing them in an embrace. They shifted under her immediately, even tried to pull back, but eventually accepted it and even rested their hands on her back.

'Death...Death doesn't hurt like I thought it might,' she signed as tears prickled her eyes. 'I let Tally and Micah down.'

 _"You really think you'd die that easily?"_ The other responded with a weird smile.  _"Your just in the starting screen. Kind of like being in a save point. When you press that big "Continue" button, you'll start back where I last saved save you. That would be in the house."_

Sure enough, there were two glaring white options ahead:  **CONTINUE** or  **RESET.**

'What does the other one do?'

 _"That would throw you back to the start of the game,"_  they said flatly.  _"I doubt you want that. You'd have to make Mo- Toriel- cry all over again."_

'C-H-A-R-A.'

 _"What?"_ Their expression was impatient, which seemed out of her character when they'd been so calm and decisive up until now if not sarcastic.

'What killed us? I don't think it was Papyrus...Who is Stars?'

Now they snorted and turned away.  _"Good old Ozzy. He saw you two fighting and before I could talk some sense into his thick skull, he fired a shot at Papyrus. Honestly I thought his aim was going to be a bit better; he shot too low and got you right through the rib cage. If your HP were full, you probably could have survived it with a lot of damage, but when you had 4/20? Not a chance."_

No wonder it hurt so badly. She'd never seen Oswald shoot before, or really show any signs of aggression, so it was hard to discern if he was just having an off day or he meant to kill both them. Even in this peaceful state, the thought of him doing something so malicious made her feel sick; surely he'd never be so cruel. He was short and only seemed to truly care about Maria, but he was no villain. She refused to let herself believe that figment of her own insecurity.

'Then we need to get back,' she decided. 'I bet they're freaking out.'

Chara arched an eyebrow and crossed their arms as they began floating after her.  _"I thought you'd question that you can come back from death."_

'Did you?'

 _"...I guess, but it didn't really matter much because I could in the end."_ They seemed to listen to their own words and something pain-filled flashed across their face before they returned to their normal demeanor.  _"Point taken."_

**CONTINUE**

* * *

"It was an accident!"

"If that's the case, he can testify for himself! Oswald, look me in my eyes! Oswald, look at me in MY DAMN EYES!"

"Don't yell at him! He's in shock!"

"ANSWER ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Maria hadn't felt so many powerful emotions at once since it hit her that she'd probably never leave the orphanage. She'd carefully constructed walls around herself; limiting physical touch, tucking her fears down inside, avoiding strong points of passion. Now that she was watching her best friend hold the red SOUL of one of the children she'd sworn to protect, she found it impossible to keep her composure when Micah began screaming.

"Get. The Hell. AWAY from him!" She screamed herself, shoving him backwards. "What do you know about what happened?! Nothing! Leave them alone!"

"whoa, kids." Sans' voice didn't  _sound_ all that different and the grin never dropped, but something about him indicated urgency. "i know your emotions are high right now, but no need to fight."

"I'll fight all I want to!" She snapped at once, whirling to her companion and dropping to her knees. "Oswald...Oswald, look at me..."

He finally lifted his dark green gaze, and while she wasn't surprised to see the moisture there, it still broke her heart. She was debating one whether or not to hug him when the SOUL he was cradling in his hands suddenly disappeared, seemingly vanishing into thin air. Micah was too busy being held back by Akin and Adeline seemed too busy crying to really notice, but she gawked as tears dripped down her own face.

"Wh-what?" She whispered hoarsely. "What...Happened...? Her SOUL-"

_"Unless you want to really cause an upset, just go with it."_

**...**

The hotel was a few degrees warmer than the outside world, and she found herself falling to her knees at the sight before her. She'd just been in Sans and Papyrus's home near hysteria, and now she was back where she was as Oswald went out to see what had happened to Frisk. She got up on shakily legs and stumbled to the door, and sure enough he was in an exact spot he'd once been in with a bewildered expression.

"D-did you hear the Narrator?" She asked warily. "They...They said go with it, but...What the hell is  _this_?"

He didn't respond immediately, but his first instinct was to go tearing off in the direction of where Frisk and Papyrus had evidently been fighting. She rushed after him this time, her knees buckling out from under her as she entered a fog too thick for her to see in front of herself.

"She's alive." Despite her disorientation, her best friend was near by the sound of his voice. "Thank the powers that be...She's freaking alive."

"And she's...fighting him again?" Her knees throbbed where she'd hit them and her mind felt fuzzy. "Why? That...She'll..."

"I don't think she's going to die," he interjected stiffly. "I'm the one who killed her. He wouldn't."

Oswald, a murderer? It was a strange concept, one she couldn't bear to accept easily. "On...Not on purpose."

"Of course not on purpose." His hands were trembling as he reached out and pulled her up. "They were fighting...I shot at him and it hit her instead. I can barely see through this fog, but I should have never aimed when my vision was compromised."

"O-oh, Ozzy..." She mumbled after a long moment of solemn silence. "I believe you."

"It isn't a matter of belief." Now he was pushing her backwards, back toward the light of day. "It's a matter of their trust. I have violated it irredeemably, especially hers. You go back. I'm going to complete this journey alone from now on."

It didn't register at first. Confusion coated her every thought and action, bringing a layer of lethargy over her perception as they exited the foggy area completely. She watched in a dream-like state as he removed his hat from his head, placed on her head, checked the bullets in his gun. She felt his lips brush her frozen cheek.

It wasn't until he disappeared back into the haze that she snapped back into reality and let out a strangled cry as she desperately rushed after him, panic setting her nerves ablaze.

He  _couldn't._ He  _knew_ , he  _knew_  exactly why she built every layer, why she only put her trust in him and him alone, and yet he was still walking away. There was nothing she could or wanted to do the first night she was alone before, but this time was different. She loved him and wanted to continue doing so even now. She needed him in more ways than she'd ever needed her birther, and she'd been damned if she let him go in a place as bizarre as the Underground.

"Ow."

The FIGHT barrier. Of course. Earlier in the snowy forest, Frisk and she had pushed against the invisible wall that kept Micah separated from them before she eventually gave up to explore. There was no way he could truly leave as long as the battle was in progress, and the reminder only made her grip him in her arms tighter just in case it ended prematurely.

"You're not leaving!" She was yelling again, but this time it had less to do with anger and shock and more to do with things she'd not allowed herself to feel in years. Hope. Heartbreak. Despair. Rage. Rage.  _Rage._

"Micah despises me. Akin will likely compromise me from this point on," he stated coldly despite her wild emotion. "Adeline and Frisk are going to be afraid of me. Even you'll learn to be afraid."

"No I won't!" She grabbed him by his  _stupid, oblivious_ face and all but smashed her forehead against his, her brown eyes never breaking from his green ones. "How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm not leaving! I'm not going to abandon you or die on you like our caretakers did to us! So YOU CAN'T do it to ME!"

The tears were making it hard to see and breathe now, but she still felt his hands on her shoulders and his chin tucking her head underneath. He was warm like he'd always been, and it rattled her to think of how much younger he was than her and yet how much the two of them felt similarly.

"Okay." His voice was weak, worn down, but she knew if he said it, he was sincere.

The world made them both hard, but at least this proved they had each other. Even when they had less than strings to grasp at from the world around them- the Surface or even the Underground- they still had each other.

**"Aww, look at the little lovebirds. It's so beautiful I'm going to be _sick_."**

Had she ever acknowledged how much she hated flowers?

"Good, maybe you'll die," she snapped at once, turning away from her best friend's grasp to glare at the small monster behind them.

 **"Well that's not very nice,"**  Flowey crooned with his usual malicious grin widening.  **"I have to say, I'm _proud_  of you, PARTNER. You managed to make your first kill, and it wasn't even a monster! You're even more cruel than I thought!"**

"Oswald is not cruel!" She all but snarled. "It was an accident!"

 **"Oh, _sure_ it was, Ballerina. I'm a lot like you two!"** He chirped with a maniac giggle.  **"But don't worry! Soon you'll both give in to your _real_ desires, and then we can work together to show the REAL meaning of this world! It's only a matter of time~!"**

"What is the real meaning of this world, then?" Oswald's eyes were hazy with moisture, but she knew better than to try and touch him when he was coming unraveled so quickly, so she just focused her attention on glaring at Flowey. "If you're so coy, then why don't you just tell us?"

The flower's cocky grin broadened if that was possible.  **"Ooh, now you're eager! Now that's just perfect! The thing about genocide isn't that it can be explained, only acted on. Don't worry, I know you're both dead inside, just like me! And I'm not the only one who knows, so if I were you, I'd watch my back!"**

"Not the only one?!" She snapped and stepped closer, trying to seem more intimidating even with the trembles sliding across her veins. "It's not true! How would anyone else know your lies?!"

 **"That Smiley Trashbag knows more than you think, kiddos!"** He winked now and giggled a final time.  **"Looks like their little battle is over, so I'll go for now, but don't worry! Your best friend will be watching~"**

"Get back out here, you coward..." Her best friend's voice was a growl as he stormed over, driving his heel so aggressively into the ground the ice beneath snapped harshly. "I said GET BACK OUT HERE AND FIGHT IF YOU'RE SO DAMN SMART!"

"HUMAN!" Papyrus's voice was right behind her, so much so that she stumbled forward and whirled around in alarm. "OH! I MEAN HUMANS, PLURAL! IT APPEARS YOU TWO ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE AS WELL! I WILL HAVE TO TAKE YOU INTO CUSTODY LIKE I DID YOUR LITTLE FRIEND!"

Now that she had some time to discern his silhouette further, she saw that Frisk was hanging limply under his arm. The fact her body was still present and her SOUL wasn't shining out proved she had to be alive, but it still sent another surge of adrenaline through her inch of her own culmination of being. Papyrus was less than dangerous, but the monsters in the Underground, especially Flowey, wanted both of them to bend to their will and she was so  _sick of it._

"I'll FIGHT you!" She declared fiercely. "For our freedom from you!"

Before the barrier surrounded them, she felt a familiar hand secure around hers, and like they were meant to, their SOULs fused into a dark shade of green. She could see pretty quickly why Frisk had so much trouble; he may put up a weak and fragile front, but his attacks proved he could carry his weight well in a battle. They proved to be faster and more diligent; Oswald's attacks were effective in destroying the smaller bones, and her hopping and twirls helped their defense and their HP to remain up throughout the duration.

"Nothing is making him stop..." She grunted as he went on another ramble about "BEING A ROYALGUARDSMAN" and how "UNDYNE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE ONCE I SHOW HER THREE HUMANS!" "We need to change strategy."

"What we're doing is working," he huffed back. "You want to FIGHT?"

"That'll make Sans our enemy..." It did cross her mind; he'd be easy to conquer that way, but she'd be damned if she proved Flowey right now. "Besides, we're better than that. What are our options?"

**CHECK INSULT FLIRT**

"...We're not flirting with the skeleton."

"Fine. But I will if it makes him stop. Look, even he looks bored."

"Maybe that'll make him spare us. No need to flirt."

"ALRIGHT HUMANS!" The monster declared with a puff. "TIME FOR MY FAMOUS BLUE ATTACK! WAIT..." He squinted and leaned forward. "HUMAN! ONE OF YOUR SOULS IS ALREADY BLUE! WELL...THIS IS EMBARRASSING."

_"You decide to flirt with Papyrus despite Oswald's wishes."_

The return of the Narrator filled her with integrity without them noting it; she'd become too accustomed to their commentary for the long period of silence that preceded now. "Hey, Papyrus! You...You have really strong bones!"

"WHAT?! FLIRTING?!" The taller shrieked at once and stumbled back. "NO MATTER! I'LL STILL BEAT YOU! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"That did a lot of good," Oswald grumbled at once.

"Let me try again!"

**FLIRT**

"I think...Your pasta is hot, but not as hot as you!" It made her uncomfortable to lie so obviously, but luckily, he remained unaware.

"YOU PERSIST! WELL THEN, I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU! I MAY BE A SKELETON, BUT I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!"

**I have zero redeeming qualities**

"Ozzy!" She complained, but he merely shrugged and tipped his hat as he told them to "NOT BE SO HARD ON THEMSELVES, SOMEONE WILL LOVE THEM EVENTUALLY".

Eventually her companion's strategy won out; their 'enemy' eventually tired out too much to continue, and they accepted the mercy gratefully. As the battlegrounds faded, so did the fog until she could clearly see him scooping up Frisk and handing her over with his eager expression never changing.

"YOU TWO WERE EXCELLENT TO BATTLE!" He announced; was he actually proud they beat him? "UNDYNE WILL...OH. I DON'T THINK SHE'LL LIKE THAT YOU BEAT ME. BUT! SHE'LL CAPTURE YOU ALL HERSELF WHEN YOU CONTINUE FORWARD, SO NOBODY LOSES! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"What is forward? Besides...Undyne," Oswald asked slowly. "And who is she, anyway?"

"SHE IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, SILLY! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT! FROM HERE YOU'LL GET TO WATERFALL, AND THEN HOTLAND, AND IF YOU AREN'T CAPTURED BY THEN- WHICH YOU WILL BE!- YOU WILL REACH THE KING'S CASTLE AND THE BARRIER!"

"The barrier?" She asked immediately while adjusting their smaller companion against her chest and shoulders. "Barrier between us and what?"

"THE SURFACE OF COURSE! IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT, YOU GO BACK ABOVE!"

Go back Above. She met her friend's eyes immediately; if they went up, they'd pop out somewhere far from where they'd started. They could finally have new lives, ones all of their own and on their own terms. They'd be runaways, but at least they could find a nice family to stay with, or even a kinder orphanage. That was the solution they'd been wondering about, she was sure of it.

"And...Would we have to fight the king to get through?" Oswald inquired steadily.

"OH, KING ASGORE? WELL, HE...HE'S A BIG FLUFFY SWEETHEART! I'M SURE IF YOU JUST SAY "KING ASGORE, MAY BE GO HOME?, HE'D HAPPILY OBLIGE. WELL, GOTTA GO! YOU ARE ALL FREE TO PROCEED...IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH...HEH!"

He immediately tore back to Snowdin Town, and Maria finally felt assured enough to set Frisk down in the snow. She looked pretty beat up from the battle, covered with various new scars and bruises, but she was certainly alive (which was a welcome change of pace from last time). She carefully pushed her tangled hair away from her eyes and sat on the frigid ground, wincing in discomfort but remaining so she wouldn't be too alarmed or confused when she eventually woke.

"Somehow I doubt any king is that big of a pushover," Ozzy commented after a few long moments of dead silence aside from Frisk's soft breathing.

"Who knows?" She replied with a shrug, which sent a surge of pain down her back that reminded her she still need healing. "Everything else is bizarre down here."

He merely nodded and turned his back to the two of them. "I'll leave you wake her. I'll attempt to gather the others."

"Are you sure?" The memories of earlier were understandably fresh, and if she was with their companion, she couldn't hold anyone back from fighting.

"Positive. I started this. I will make it tolerable again."

She wasn't sure how long she sat there after that, but everything felt frozen and numb by the time the brown eyes of her companion fluttered open. She looked around lethargically, wincing with every motion she took to sit up on the backs of her hands and falling right back down after applying pressure.

"Don't take it too fast," she murmured as she pulled her to her lap, taking great care to carefully sit her up against her torso. "You're in really bad shape."

"I...I died?" The younger girl whispered, which only made the entire experience more harrowing.

"Not...More than once," she replied heavily. "It was an accident. I know it's probably going to be nearly impossible to forgive Oswald for it, but he-"

_"Frisk says not to worry about an explanation; she already forgives him."_

Maria couldn't process the smaller's signing immediately. She'd spent all thirteen of her years harboring anger, resentment, and even hatred toward everyone who hurt, and here this ten-year-old was forgiving her murderer like it was hardly worth noting. Nevertheless, the relief hit her like a truck, and she found herself crying uncontrollably as she embraced her fiercely, then loosened only slightly due to the small squeak of pain.

_"You realize you have a lot to learn from Frisk. You are filled with integrity."_

* * *

These children had no simple solution, and yet they were going to be a tedious problem.

Yellow Soul- Oswald- had outright slaughtered one of his 'friends', and despite the circumstances surrounding it, there may very well be external influences that encouraged him to shoot. Blue Soul was traumatized by it and so was Green, but they interpreted it about the same by sympathizing with every party. Orange was riled by it, but nearly as much as Purple, who was resisting the urge to try and return the favor to Yellow. Then there was Red, the unlucky one, who remarkably was the most unaffected by the whole ordeal.

This group of six did not have harmony. They would not operate as ragtag groups often did in popular Surface media; they'd never become 'best friends' or team up for the greater good because they had no reason to be unified in the end. Of course they could conjure something similar or even greater, but who was to say the opposite effect wouldn't reveal itself soon?

Judgement was going to be a pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hark, a perspective we have not seen before! The glory of third-person narrative is the fact I can do things like that on occasion, though I would like to assure you all that the perspectives will rely on the children a solid 98% of the duration of this story. 
> 
> For those of you who have noticed or have seen all of these chapters come flooding in at once after over a year's absence, please attribute these things to fact that I may or may not have forgotten this account existed for some time, and that while I wrote more on this story up until the end of April last year, my life began increasingly hectic and I forgot to add them consistently to this forum. I am very sorry, and I bestow the same assurance as on Fanfiction.net that I will be more loyal to this work in updating it and continuing it, even as my life speeds up again.


	11. Familiarity Has Its' Treachery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death is no small thing to get over, especially when it's not the first time any of these children have encountered it. Chara learns more about their hosts, and the a certain flower looms but is surprisingly less of a threat than the humans.
> 
> MAJOR, MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of intended child sexual abuse, depiction of child abuse, implication of attempted suicide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a possibly surprising turn of events, I am not dead! I am sincerely sorry for the eleven month absence (because holy heck eleven months), but I shouldn't be taking such a massive break any longer if things go anywhere near as planned. You see, I graduated high school in May, and began college after a very busy and lovely summer. Unfortunately, my first college was absolutely horrendous, and I ended up transferring after the first sixteen week period. Now I'm commuting from home and already feeling much, much happier than I was beforehand, so updates and writing are to be anticipated going forward. I can't promise no more breaks will occur, but I'll at least try to give you lovelies a heads up before any more major life changes occur.
> 
> To those who have been around this project of mine since the beginning, I am sincerely grateful you're still here and still supporting me despite my sudden vanishing. To those of you who are new, thank you for reading the story up until this point! I'll do my best to keep your interest, as things are really getting interesting now and the Underground is getting more and more impacted by the presence of seven human souls at once.
> 
> Without much further ado, enjoy this long overdo update! :)

Akin didn't blame Micah for holding on to Frisk more tightly now. He couldn't say confidently that he had anyone he'd completely lose his shit over losing. Even Della, who was his closest confidante since their adventure began, wasn't close enough to destroy him if she died.

_"That is a load, Bandanna. You care about all of them a lot, even if you don't want to acknowledge it."_

'Of course I care about them,' he sharply responded internally. 'I'm not sure it'd make me lose my mind like Micah over there.'

_"Whatever you say, buddy. The thought of death weights heavy on your mind now, and you are certain you won't let it happen again so easily. You are filled with bravery."_

Adeline was glued to his side as always, her hands clasped in front of her middle like they always were when she was nervous. Frisk's state was admittedly making him nervous as well- she looked like she'd come back from the dead, even more so than when she actually _did_ regenerate. Now that he had time to think about more, he wondered more and more exactly _how_ she managed to that. When humans died, at least Above, they were gone for good, and they certainly didn't have their SOUL pop out of them with no corpse to be seen. He knew things worked extremely differently Underground, but things like SAVE files and the battle mechanics still didn't make absolute sense out of context. He'd participate if it meant getting answers later and fulfill the nagging sense he was meant to do something important, but this whole ordeal felt like he was playing some kind of messed up video game that gambled with his and the others' lives.

_"More than you know, kid. More than you know."_

"Will you get out of my head?!" He demanded aloud, so strongly and suddenly that it made everyone else jump and Maria gasp fearfully while throwing her arms out to the side, as if to shield everyone else. "If you aren't going to give us answers, then just SHUT UP!"

"Are you talking to Narrator?" Micah snapped, his face twisted into a mixture of anger and sorrow. "Because you can talk to them in your head and _not_ scare the rest of us half to death!"

He winced immediately after saying 'death', his grip noticeably tightening around Frisk's legs from where she was riding on his back. The younger boy's instinct was to scream even louder in response to the older's snarkiness, but he stopped himself before Adeline could begin pleading for them to be nice and get along in this trying, terrifying time, which she did. If he'd ever had anyone as intensely loyal and loving toward him as Frisk had been for all those years to his purple companion, he knew very well he'd been acting the same and worse.

"Look, I'm sorry," he admitted after Adeline got off her soapbox. "I know...I know you're not trying to be an asshole. Let's just get somewhere to restore our HPs, okay?"

Micah looked taken aback for a moment but sighing softly, even mustering the ghost of a smile in response. "Okay."

The fog was finally gone as they all emerged into a new area, and the ground immediately squished down in response to his weight. This new area of this strange world seemed to more to do with water than snow if this room was any judgement, and the temperature was drastically warmer, which he appreciated. Almost immediately, everyone paused to begin stripping out of the layers they'd previously applied. Most of them dropped the clothes immediately to the damp ground only to immediately be grabbed, folded, and stored into either the bag on Maria's back by Adeline. He gave her a small smile in encouragement, patting her shoulder softly before squinting to look further out.

"It's kind of dark in here," he noted, then decided he couldn't help his urge to childishly tease. "None of you sissies are scared of the dark, are you?"

"I thought you learned to keep your irrelevant comments to yourself only minutes ago, but evidently I was wrong," Oswald responded coldly. Before Akin could even think of a comeback, though, the expression on his face turned even more stoic (if it was possible) and he sealed his lips more tightly.

'Thanks, Narrator,' he thought with a small, sheepish grin.

No response. Even if he did mean his apology before, they really were a sassy brat for actually listening to his earlier childish demand. Maybe he deserved it, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Oh thank goodness!" Micah exclaimed as they emerged into the newest room, completely ignoring the skeleton at his sentry station and running to the SAVE star, carefully setting Frisk on the ground before hurrying both of their hands onto it.

Immediately Frisk looked much more energized, and even though they all expected it, the relief in the group was obvious as they made their way up to do the same. Upon further examination, it was clear to Akin that more serious injuries, like the scrapes across her body and the residue coating her body, weren't immediately remedied because of her HP being full, but that okay by him. After all, being a little dirty never hurt anyone, and scars, scratches and bruises made you look tough!

"I wonder if we could bathe in that river in the next room..." Adeline wondered aloud as her own HP was restored and the file **WATERFALL CHECKPOINT** flashed and saved above. "I know the water was moving, but I think we could keep our footing if it's not too deep..."

"I doubt it," Micah replied, his demeanor very clearly more relaxed now that everyone, particularly his best friend, was taken care of. "Didn't you see those massive ice blocks floating down it? Even if it was shallow enough, we'd probably freeze to death before we were actually clean."

"Besides, a little dirt and grime never hurt anybody!" He chimed him with a grin and another shoulder clasp to his smaller friend.

"Except we probably smell bad," she sighed and gripped her hands even tighter. "And probably look awful, but you are right...Maybe we can find something better later on. We are in a place called 'Waterfall' now."

"I'd still give anything for some of Toriel's plumbing now, though," Maria said wistfully. "And I'd do just about anything for a slice of her warm pie right now."

"I could totally flop down in front of her fireplace and sleep for at least three days," Adeline agreed with the same longing expression. "And one of her hugs would make everything feel so much better."

"I doubt she'd want us back in the state we're in," Oswald rebuked wearily, but it was clear, at least to him (and if it was clear to him, he was positive it was to the others as well), that he wanted to see and stay with her again just as badly as the rest to them.

"Of course she would!" Maria immediately argued, her expression not unkind as she grabbed her friend's hands and gave them a light squeeze. "Toriel never cared about what we looked like, or how we acted, or anything we'd ever done. She...She actually loved us, totally unconditionally."

"That's what you think." His fellow ten year old was sticking to his point, but by his defeated expression and tentative hopefulness in his gaze, he knew- or at least really wanted to know- that she was right.

"I think we can pretty confidently say we all know that," Micah interjected. "She never gave us reason to not believe so. She'd welcome us back now with open arms."

"Only because of Beatrice." Akin really, _really_ hated to agree with the solemn boy, but he'd held onto his wariness despite everything; it was how he'd learned to survive up until this point, so he wasn't releasing it so easily.

Maria's expression altered now, her shoulders drooping as she said, "Yes, that is true..."

"But it doesn't matter!" Adeline declared with surprising energy, her small hands grabbing Maria's and holding them tightly. "Toriel loves us no matter what we have thought or will think about her! Even if Beatrice changed her mind about letting us come back whenever and however, she still has the offer out, so it's okay!"

They were all silent for a moment before Micah slowly nodded, his hands securing over Frisk's shoulders protectively. "I mean...I'd be pretty devastated if Beatrice and Frisk ever went out and only one of them came back."

"Why don't we call her?" Maria suggested with a look of realization flashing across her face. "We still have that phone she gave us, and her number is still saved!"

All of them quickly gathered around her as she pulled up the contact and pressed the call button. Even Akin found himself holding his breath as the tone sounded three, four, five times, and he was the first to scoff in frustration was there was no answer. Even the Narrator didn't have anything initially to comment as all six of them stared at the small device in Maria's hand, the surprise of her not picking up hit them all right in their hearts.

"Maybe she just has really bad reception? We are pretty far away now..." Poor Della had barely gotten her statement out before Oswald angrily kicked the soggy ground beneath them, dirt and grass flying outward as he stomped away from their huddle.

"She found out!" He stated in almost growl, and Akin had to wonder if he was trying to hold back tears. "She somehow found out I offed Frisk, and she hates me now. Hell, she might hate all of us if she thinks any of you helped or let it happen!"

"That's not true!" Adeline surprisingly shouted back, her tears freely forming her eyes. "She loves us, just like Maria said! Maybe she's just busy!"

"With what?" Oswald demanded coldly, his fists jamming into his eyes and jerking back down in one motion. "Managing Beatrice? I seriously doubt it."

"Hey!" He shouted himself, his fists tightening at his sides subconsciously and stepped in the center of their broken semi-circle. "She doesn't hate us and she probably doesn't know! Even if she did, she wouldn't just ignore us like that, so let's just forget it and keep going!"

"How conveniently you suddenly want to take Adeline's side," Oswald responded coldly, but his expression drooped and lowered when he sent the most menacing glare he could in his direction.

It wasn't a matter of taking his friend's side over everyone else's, no matter what his fellow preteen thought. He desperately wanted to believe that the girls were right and that it was merely a coincidence that Toriel didn't pick up, and he'd decided to ignore all the other possibilities until and if they were irrefutably blown out of the water. To distract himself from the bubbling doubt in his stomach, he marched over to the Sans and crossed his arm, giving him the toughest expression he could muster.

"What are you doing here?" He sneered. "Shouldn't you be back in Snowdin with your brother? Y'know, the one who nearly offed Frisk a second time?"

The skeleton's expression unsurprisingly didn't change, but it was still annoying when he was sure he'd made an impact with his demand. "what, can't a guy have more than one job? something has to pay the bills at grillby's. speaking of which, i'm on break and about to head there now. anybody wanna come?"

If he was on break, why was he just standing there while all of them argued? The boy with the bandanna knew the monster before him was extremely lazy and had no problem falling asleep standing up, but he was probably just getting his kicks by listening to their conflicts within themselves. Either that or he really was that lazy to move and wasn't listening, but he doubted that.

"We just left Snowdin!" He exclaimed while making sure his expression didn't falter. "You think we want to go back with your shady ass?!"

"technically, kid, i only have a tailbone." The older monster was completely unfazed by his attempts, which only made him more irritated. "so he's out of the question. what about the rest of you? you look hungry. could probably go for a burger or something, and grillbz makes the best in town. what d'ya say?"

"We do still need to eat, or at least we should..." Maria said carefully. "Maybe I should go and bring you all back something?"

"I'd offer to go with you, but I'm not going anywhere with him," Oswald replied with a small sigh. "Somebody should go with you just in case, though. The rest of us can figure out where we can camp out in the meantime, okay?"

Akin honestly expected her to be offended, or at least a little hurt, by the notion her so-called best friend was refusing to go with her and protect her, but she actually seemed more relieved by the smile and nod she gave him. Was she somehow implying that she only trusted the rest of them when he was around? The thought made his blood boil. That jerk was the one that literally killed Frisk!

" _Frisk says she'll go with you."_ And just as soon as they'd left, the Narrator was back in their heads. _"She says she feels perfectly fine and is the most experienced with the skeleton brothers if things go haywire."_

"After all that happened to you, you want to be anywhere this weirdo?" He demanded before Micah could get over his alarm. "Shit, I'll go before you have to after everything you've been through."

"Akin's right!" Micah sputtered immediately after, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "I'm not letting anything happen to you ever again and I don't want you out of my sight!"

From there, Akin had no idea what she said, as she was signing and the Narrator wasn't translating it aloud for the rest of them, but the older boy's expression drooped as he began signing back quickly. Before he could even guess what the hell they were saying, Frisk had turned her back to her companion and was walking with Maria's hand in tow toward Sans. Poor Micah looked more in shock than anything else, so he wasn't surprised that Adeline was the rest to go up to him and place a comforting hand on his back.

"She'll be okay," he heard her saying quietly. "She's really strong."

"don't worry kiddos, i'll have them back in no time," Sans commented, and he was sure he'd wink if he could. "come on, i know a shortcut."

And just like that they were gone, vanished into thin air, and Akin was positive that the skeleton was powerful enough to transport. He wasn't sure if that impressed him more or concerned him, but for the time being, he was dying to know what Frisk had said to shut Micah up.

_"Trust me, it wasn't nearly as shitty as what you might have said, but she put him in his place."_

'Then why can't you just tell me what it was?' He demanded internally, quickening his pace to bypass Oswald, who was now heading toward the next room.

Silence. They really were a cheeky bastard.

* * *

Teleportation was cool.

After the experiences she'd had already had with another monster who could do it,Maria was surprised to find herself returning Frisk's small grin once the cold air of Snowdin hit them once more. Together they walked over the short skeleton, both releasing a small, unanimous sigh of relief when the warm atmosphere of Grillby's began to thaw their freezing skin. The diner was surprisingly full wide a wide cast of characters, all of which greeting Sans like he was an old friend and regular patron, which he'd already proven to be.

"heya grillbz," Sans greeted the bartender separately, who had a humanoid body other than his head being exclusively flame and glasses.

"Hello," Grillby responded casually, not looking up from polishing his glass. "Weren't you just in here for a late breakfast?"

"nah, i haven't had breakfast in at least a half hour," the skeleton responded with his usual humor. "you must be thinking of brunch."

At once all of the other patrons laughed, which Sans received when his huge grin and his hands up in a comedic fashion. Maria rolled her eyes immediately and climbed up onto a bar stool, looking for a menu and looking to the barkeep sheepishly when she didn't find one.

"I can make almost anything you'd like as long as it will be paid," he noted politely, still not looking up from his cleaning.

"I see," she said quickly from her waning social anxiety. "C...can I have...Um...A milkshake...?"

"A milkshake and a burger," the flaming monster muttered to himself before looking to Sans and Frisk, who were about to sit down themselves. "And yourselves?"

Maria quickly caught the nude whoopee cushion on the bar stool her companion was about to seat herself on and swiftly removed it, dropping it in the seat on the other side of her seat and frowning hard to the comedic skeleton. He simply chuckled and told them that 'sometimes weirdos liked to put them in the seat', then ordered two orders of fries for himself and Frisk. Grillby nodded and walked behind a door that read "Fire Exit", when nearly made the teenager scoff aloud at the _stupid, persistent_ pun.

"so..." Their host drawled after a few moments of awkward silence. "what do you think of my brother?"

Frisk gave a double thumbs up and a nod, to which the other replied, "yeah, he is pretty cool. i'd be cool too if i wore armor like his."

"Why did you want to bring us here?" The elder girl asked before he could come up with anything else sarcastic and 'funny' to say. "I figured you tolerated us because we were entertaining your brother. Why are you helping us now?"

"geez, kid, not everyone in the world is out here to hurt you," the skeleton replied before pausing in thought. "well, most monsters are, and i can't really speak for humans, but that's still not everyone."

"It's extremely hard to find anybody without personal motives to help," she persisted flatly. "Good people are only people who do things to better themselves with better spoken intentions. _Why did_ you bring us here?"

Almost on cue, Grillby returned with three plates of burgers on one arm and a milkshake topped with whipped cream in the other. "let's eat up before we continue pointing fingers, hm? either of you want ketchup?"

Frisk shook her head and picked up the burger, which was practically oozing with grease, and lightly squeezed it to drain it. Maria followed by example and shot the skeleton a sideways glance when he began chugging the ketchup, but otherwise at her food and drank the milkshake. Said milkshake tasted more artificial than anything, and she could see the powder thinly mixed in with the snow and ice, but mixing it more vigorously made it tolerable enough to down.

Sans was telling her comrade some story about his brother's attempts to join the "Royal Guard", but she couldn't be bothered to listen. Even if she was the one who volunteered to come, she still didn't trust this guy, and being away from the others made her anxious. After all, how could she protect them when she was a full town's length away?

"so i wanted to ask you something." Suddenly his eye sockets were boring right into her, and it made her blood run cold. "have you ever heard of **talking flower**?"

Shit. He knew about that Flowey creep, and by how intense his gaze was, he didn't like him.

"Yes," she admitted as calmly as she could. "But you should know that I don't want anything to do with that deviant."

"so you know all about the echo flower," he said, but his gaze didn't change. "they're all over the marsh. you say something to them, and they repeat it over and over. so what about it? papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery...advice...predictions. weird, huh? i bet someone is using an echo flower to play tricks on him. what d'ya think? i'd keep an eye out if you were you."

"I don't know exactly what an echo flower is," she stated with a frown. "But I know of a talking flower that doesn't repeat anything. He's bright yellow, and he calls himself 'Flowey'. He's really off-putting and seems like he could be dangerous. I'd keep Papyrus away from him if I were you."

Something bizarre happened when she finished speaking. Sans's eye sockets, or more specifically one of them, unmistakably flashed with an electric burst of energy, one that seemed as beautiful as it was frightening. She and Frisk shot each other a surprised look at once, but when they turned their attention back to their mysterious escort, he looked as thought nothing had changed from when they first entered the diner.

"well isn't that something," he mused lethargically before rising to his feet. "welp, this is been a really long break. i can't believe you let me get away from my work so long."

Was he seriously not going to address whatever the hell just happened with his eyes? She jumped up herself and stepped in front of him before he could fully walk away, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing his eyes.

"Your eye socket just glowed," she said bluntly. "And you're just going to walk and make light of it? We could be talking about a serious threat here!"

Despite her snapping, it was clear that he'd put a cap over the emotions he'd temporarily shown, and he simply shrugged when she finished. "sounds like a person problem for you seven. i'll keep an eye socket on papyrus, but i have a job to get to. also, i'm kind of broke. you two can foot the bill, right? it's only 10,000 G."

"Absolutely not!" She yelped. Did they even have 100?!

"just kidding," he responded with a chuckle. "grillz, put it on my tab."

He stepped behind her, but once she turned, he'd vanished once again. The young teen was still fuming as she ordered burgers for the other four, but she was equally disturbed he'd referred to the fact that there were seven humans in the Underground in total. As far as he should know, there had only ever been six of them, but this was solid proof he knew much more than he was letting on.

_"Frisk wants to know if you're alright, and who this talking flower is."_

She didn't want to tell the younger girl. How would she ever justify the fact the little creep would appear and encourage her and Oswald to give in to their 'urges' to commit genocide? She certainly wouldn't trust her if she ever said- well, signed- something like that, so why would the same be anything different in reverse?

"His name is Flowey," she admitted carefully. "And he says some really shady stuff. He wants us to do bad things."

_"You know his true intentions but want to spare Frisk from the naked truth. You are filled with integrity."_

Without The Narrator, Frisk just looked concerned and a bit confused, but she grabbed her hand nevertheless and squeezed it in a reassuring way. Maria had no idea what the reaction would've been if she exposed that 'us' merely included herself and Ozzy, but she now certain this was for the best. She'd never give in to that jerk's command, so it didn't matter if she wasn't baring all.

" _Frisks says you should hurry back so the food doesn't get too cold."_

"H-how much do we owe you?" The eldest asked Grillby nervously after nodding to their companion. "We don't have much, but we can at least give you a little-"

"Sans likes to exaggerate," Grillby interupted with a shake of his head. "It will be 65 G for everything."

They had it, so the teenager quickly handed it over and dropped a couple in the tip jar before hurrying outside with her junior. They made it back to the area they'd been once before within a minute or so, where the other four were sitting on the damp ground. All of them, particularly Akin, looked extremely bored, but the way their faces lit up when they saw the two of them made her feel happy.

"Finally, some food!" Akin announced and tore into his burger without draining it, sending grease cascading down his shirt, but he was obviously too occupied to care.

The other three were more mindful with theirs, and Oswald gave a small, barely audible sigh when she sat beside him. "There was nothing beyond here other than a small room with mushrooms. That might be a good place to camp we need it next, but the next room was dark and muggy, so we just came back and decided to wait up. For the record, it was my idea to do so."

"Thank you," she replied sincerely and gave his hand a tight squeeze before lowering her voice. "I mentioned Flowey to Sans."

He snapped his head to look at her fully, his eyes wide and blazing at once. "You did what?" He hissed.

"He already knew about him!" She hissed back and tightened her grip on his limb. "He mentioned a talking flower, and not just the ones that are apparently already around this place. Why could could've come from lying?"

"You'd be surprised if you'd ever do it," he grumbled.

His grumpiness was getting her nerves, which was frankly unusual; she'd adjusted herself to his demeanor over the years, so she decided she must just be exhausted. She merely rolled her eyes in response and brought her knees to her chest, listening silently as Akin complained about the rocks that knocked him down a stream onto a moving set of stairs and Adeline mentioned how the mushrooms lit up when touched. Seeing an echo flower in this area quite frankly unnerved her, but she decided not to uproot it or even strike up a conversation with the monster standing beside it, just in case it triggered a FIGHT. With the mood she was in, that was the very last thing she needed.

"So do we want to rest?" She finally said when everyone had finished their food and wiped their faces on the insides of their shirts. "Oswald mentioned there was a room we could do so in. Maybe that would be a good idea before braving the rest of the marsh."

"Yes, that would be good," Adeline agreed. "It's a little hot in there, though..."

"We can handle it!" Akin assured immediately, helping her up to her feet, and Maria was surprised by how it made her smile; they would make a really cute couple one day.

As suggested, they made their way behind the rushing waterfall and avoided the rushing, reappearing rocks by running like their lives depended on it when they were in sight. She found herself taking off her tutu, an old thing she'd been gifted with when she was much younger that she'd been wearing since entering Snowdin's forest, and folding it to make a pillow. Rather than immediately dozing off, she sat upright and made sure the five others had layed down properly and curled up around the admittedly tiny space and begun to make sounds to indicate slumber. For the first time since they'd fallen, Oswald slept on the other side of the room, and she found herself appreciating it.

If Flowey showed up here, she knew she'd fight him, and she realized with a sick pang in her stomach she'd do anything to win against the creep who was succeeding in isolating her more than ever. Because of this knowledge, she forced herself to lay and fall into a nightmare-filled sleep just to feel one last sense of normality.

* * *

Chara wasn't looking forward to meeting the captain of the Royal Guard, and while they weren't going to spoil that just yet to the others and scare them, they were positive none of them would, either.

They didn't understand Monster Kid's admiration of her. She was a brute at best and a headstrong beast of a bully at worst; why did he see her as some kind of hero? No human had fallen down since themselves, and yet she insisted she protected all of the Underground and would never die to someone like a human. Of course she wanted to free monsterkind- everyone under the Surface did- but what made her so certain she could? If anything, they hoped she'd spare the lives of these young creatures fast asleep in the marsh; they of all humankind deserved it, which was a lot coming from them.

The nightmares that plagued their partner now were disturbing, too disturbing to focus on now. All they saw sweeping across the young preteen's mind were images of their prospective parents walking away, muttering about how they were a 'mute freak' and how 'that was too much to handle.' These memories gave way to images of a hideous middle-aged woman with several lines and squinty eyes beating them bloody with a belt or her shoe, screaming at them to act normally and stop bringing shame to the orphanage.

Where they decided to block out the window of memory is when the reoccurring one of a man Frisk's subconscience referred to as 'Pop', where he ushered all of the children at the orphanage and offering to allieve their 'monthly retribution' by performing vaguely sexual acts on them. Frisk refused every single time, which lead to them being whipped until they passed out from blood loss or forced to scream by the obese main putting half his weight on their head or neck.

As soon as they reached the Surface, Chara was going to make that bastard pay, even if they had to take over their companion's body to do it.

The memories left them shaking despite not having a physical form and watching over their younger friend until the shivering subsided. The others were completely passed out as well, and despite what may be their better judgement, they decided to check out their dreams and nightmares. It would hopefully at least put some of their behavior into context, and if not, at least they'd see the demons they kept locked inside their heads. In contrast to what many Surface movies portrayed, they hadn't had a "heart to heart" about their pasts, possible because they already knew all that wanted or needed about each other, so they'd have to extract that information themselves.

Akin's head was full of haze and anger pulsing through his entire being. All of the memories of the Underground were shown through a red, internal haze, one that they weren't sure had more to do with fury for their circumstances or sadness for what they kept losing. Every time Oswald was shown, the haze increasing, and they noticed the preteen rolled over aggressively every time. The sadness was potent with all of the other children, even Micah; the only exception was Adeline, who he viewed in a pink, soft light. She was clearly important to him, even more so than the others, and that didn't surprise them in the least. Eventually, his conscience was going to have to catch up with his brutally honest subconscience. It was only a matter of time.

Micah's mind was a maze of calculations that made Chara's non-coperal head hurt. All they could see were probabilities and possibly ties, and he kept going back to a map of the Underground he'd obviously been working on for ages. Frisk's SOUL was a reoccurring symbol as well, dark red and glowing dimly as he held in his hand. They watched as Beatrice appeared and began to play with the SOUL, and the screaming and crying going on inside his conscience made them retreat quickly before it got any worse. Obviously that kid had a lot of insecurity and didn't feel confident about anything that had happened, but at least he cared deeply about their youngest former party member and their partner. That had to account for something to him eventually, right?

Moving along the edge of the room, they looked into Oswald's. The images were far, far from pleasant- the memory of shooting Frisk, over and over, watching her SOUL emerge and the body completely disappear. He kept running away, screaming at Maria to leave him alone, and meeting up with an oh-so familiar golden flower, only to rip him out of the ground and keep moving. His dream self was constantly being yanked away from he reached the dark unknown of the rest of the Underground, but the implications of what he wanted to do after that were clear to them. They decided to move on.

Poor Adeline had the clearest conscience of theirs. Her dreams were full of repetitive things, like making a recipe carefully. By her side was an older man, one that looked an awful lot like her, who instructed her gently in Toriel's voice. It didn't make a lot of sense, but it did them good to see how positively they associated Toriel in their subsconcious. Perhaps if they ever met again, she wouldn't leave their mother along again.

Maria, they decided, was worse than Frisk in the dream department.

The initial images weren't too terrible. They'd evidently begun looking in the middle of a memory, one where Maria's dream self was sitting around a table and chatting with a woman and two female toddlers. She continued trying to talk, but her words came out silently, and her mother didn't respond other than to ask her to pass a condiment or plate. It changed very quickly after that, showing the familiar golden flower again taunting her, saying that 'genocide is what she wanted, just turn them all to dust, Ballerina'. She kept denying it, of course, but he just chuckled and did something unpreditented- he showed her exactly what the destruction of the Underground looked like, with dust and silence everywhere. It sincerely disturbed the first fallen human how much the silence in comparison to the previous chaos and danger seemed to please the teenager before she let out a real scream and her eyes snapped open.

"Holy-!" Akin screeched in response, jumping to his feet and looking around wildly before realizing there was no sentient threat. "God, Maria, what the hell?"

The eldest member of the party stared at him, wide-eyed and shaking, slowly sat back down and shook her head wordlessly before managing words again. "I...Just had a really bad nightmare. I'm sorry I scared you, you can go back to sleep."

Chara anticipated the brave soul to do as she requested, but he simply shook his head and walked to sit beside her. "Don't worry about it, I think I'm done sleeping now. Are...Are you okay?"

She nodded, but it was clear to both of them she was fibbing very, very poorly. It did please the ghost to see him sitting with her, discussing how he was excited to go 'kick monster ass' and how she was doing a great job leading. Though it didn't completely remove the shaken look from the girl's face, she did smile and bump his shoulder good-naturedly when he let a curse word slip out.

"Watch your tongue," she teased.

"You're not my real mom!" He rebuked with a small grin, a very small grimace passing over his face before he looked to the others. "I'm honestly surprised your scream didn't wake them up. They must really be tired."

"Agreed," she said slowly, touching his hand lightly. "You know, Akin...I really value having you along right now."

His eyes widened. "You do?"

She nodded eagerly, her hand engulfing his completely and giving it a small squeeze. "You're brave, a lot more than I would be without your determined attitude. I know that they look up to you, even if they don't always agree with you. You're a good person, Akin."

A small blush dusted his cheeks, but he still grinned. "Thank you. You are too, you know...You're a lot better than Oswald, that's for sure. I mean, I know you like him or whatever, but he did kill Frisk. That's pretty messed up."

She pressed her lips together, and for a moment, the small ghost wondered if she'd admit what she'd seen in her dream. "He's not a bad person, I promise you. He's just...hard to reach. Sometimes I am too, so please don't judge him too hard, okay?"

He didn't look like he believed her, but he did nod and lean back against the damp, squishy wall. "I trust you. I don't think I've ever seen you actually lie, after all."

The power and urges that lurked inside the oldest female concerned Chara, if only a little bit. They knew they weren't necessarily the epitome of all that was good and trusting, and the power and EXP that radiated off of Oswald didn't empower their potential quite like Maria's hidden did. Whatever these children, especially Frisk, did would affect how they guided them and showed them how to survive. If even a fraction of them began to kill, that would be the undoing of all the compassion they'd seen so far, and they'd give way to their own desires. Maria reminded them more of themselves than even Frisk did, and they weren't sure how to feel.

"So what made you scream?" The boy with an orange soul asked, bringing their thoughts back to the present.

"I just...saw nothing, and then there was this person. They looked like Frisk, but taller, and with a different outfit, and they had this ridiculously creepy expression of their face," she admitted, and they were surprised at how genuine she sounded. "Like they didn't have eyes. It was unnerving."

"You saw them, too?" Akin yelped.

Oops. Perhaps they still had things to learn as well.


End file.
